The Forsaken Heirs
by Voyna
Summary: [PostWar AU] An heir was all Sasuke wanted. And for that he needed a Hyūga. So when the Leader of the Clan offered his disturbed elder daughter in exchange of Uchiha vassalage for nine generations, Sasuke had no choice but to accept. Little did he know that the fascinating and strange Hinata came with a fierce lover, a broken heart and revolutionary ideals. SasuHinaKō
1. The Lady by the Pond

**[A/N] My loves, back I am!**

**And so is **_**Forsaken Heirs**_**.**

**After many months, and after having started with my new fic **_**The Glam Show**_**, I have realized that I did not like the old version of **_**Forsaken Heirs**_**. I felt I had half-assed it completely and mostly wrote it just for shits and giggles.**

**I planned on dropping it and concentrating on my other projects.**

**However, something called me back to **_**FH**_** and I didn't know how to get it out of my head. So I decided to … rewrite it. With a new, fresh perspective, new ideas and finally, a plot.**

**And this is all due to my dearest ****SabakunoAnjel****. Not only did she help me set **_**TGS**_**'s plot, not only did she inspire me with her great stories and ideas, not only did she agree on a collaboration (you will hear about it in time), but she took time out of her super busy schedule to give me ideas for **_**FH**_**, to help me organize my thoughts and to set the plot. In other words, she did all the work.**

**Dear, thanks. Honestly, since I know you, I have regained literary hope.**

**Enjoy the new **_**Forsaken Heirs**_**!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

…

**Forsaken Heirs**

_Chapter 1_

The Lady by the Pond

_By _

_Voyna___

"She is outside again."

"How very troublesome."

"And I believe she must not be dressed conveniently."

"Why, no, indeed. It is to entice the men, surely. The _HISS_ guards patrol the compound and see her that way."

Servants were a nuisance. Whenever they opened their mouths, it was to badmouth their masters. And the men that insured their security on a daily basis.

No one would begrudge them their jabs at Hiashi-sama's strange elder daughter. However, the Hyūga Internal Security Squad (_HISS_ for short) should have been spared.

Nonetheless, even with servants that took their liberties, the Hyūga Clan received many compliments from visitors, friends (as in subordinates) and rivals pertaining its organization.

Whenever the Nara officials came to visit the compound, they stooped down quite low and flattered the Hyūga Elders and leader on the beauty of the architecture, the harmony in which the inhabitants lived and the absolute discipline that reigned between the servants.

Of course, it was mostly inconsequential flattery from a vassal clan that worried for its own prosperity. The seizure of the economy, and hence the political power, by the Hyūga Clan, at the end of the Great Jinchūriki War, had made the compound one of the most visited touristic destination of Konoha.

Even the Gōdaime walked her generous breasts throughout the Hyūga compound at least once a week. However, such details concerning the inner-workings and political goals of the Clan were of no interest to the young servants.

Here they were, seated on the wooden veranda of the leader's lodgings, their cracked hands frenetically washing the himes' clothes in big metal basins. It was one of those cold autumn mornings announcing the arrival of winter.

It smelled of snow and the sun that was seeping through the branches of the great willow was taunting and biting. It was already time for the winter clothes to be taken out, however as per tradition, the inhabitants of the Hyūga compound dressed according to the calendar, not according to the temperature.

Besides Hinata-hime. Hinata-hime dressed as she pleased and it was overlooked by all. When overlooked it could be. They servants always kept a wary eye on her, especially when she was so close to the pond.

People that drowned in less than a meter of water were not unheard of. It would not be such a great loss, everyone in the Hyūga Clan would tell you as much.

However, it would surely be very difficult to explain to the village. Hinata-hime was _someone_, or better to say, she had been someone.

And now she had become _this_.

Seated by the rocks bordering the old koi pond (that hadn't been the dwelling of any fish since the death of Hiashi-sama's mother), her pale legs crossed (and revealed by the obscene way her _yukata_ opened around them) and a _shamisen_ resting on her thigh, Hinata was playing an accompaniment for _yōkyoku_ that would be sure to rouse Hiashi from his sleep.

He had never appreciated _Nō_ music. The very idea a Hyūga daughter would associate with actors and _geishas_ was truly shameful. However, Hinata had a special status. He would not lash out at her. It was after all his fault she had become that way.

The music stopped for an instant. A servant raised her head. The lady by the pond softly let the fingers of her right hand slip into the icy water.

The servant clicked her tongue. There was something vulgar at seeing Hinata-hime do so. _Geishas_ had that habit of playing with their fingers frozen.

A woman that could play the _shamisen_ to perfection with stiff fingers would know how to play it with her hands at their best. The ways of a courtesan. However, Hinata-hime had not been like that before her sealing.

She had been a hero; a soft-spoken, timid and reluctant hero. She had brought great honor to the Clan and it had been believed that, since the decision for her to be discarded from heirloom (the heirloom being their clan and lives) had been overthrown, she would be announced as heir.

However nothing had happened as imagined. The moment the rumors had reached their peak, she had been sealed. She had _demanded_ to be sealed. That was something completely unheard of.

One could imagine all the trouble that would arise from sealing a hero of Konoha, if the village was ever to discover it.

Yet, the leader had given in and the Elders had followed suite. Hinata-hime had been more or less inactive as kunoichi since the end of the war, two years ago. It had been deemed feasible to keep her sealing between the walls of the compound. At least for a certain period of time.

But no one had expected …

Someone pushed aside the _shōji_ and rushed out behind the servant girls. All dropped their chores and lifted the sleeves of their dark _yukata_ to veil their faces. Hyūga Kō had run out of the house. And it was the done thing to shun Hyūga Kō.

Of course, none of the servant girls would admit that they had tried to attract his attention back when he was the _HISS_ general. He had had a very desirable position before he'd thrown it away. Kō had been deemed very close to the leading Sōke. It was even said that he was _respected_ by the leading branch.

Generals of the Sōke addressed him directly, without the intermediary of their secretaries, and Hiashi-sama spent an hour a day in his company, going through the provenance of food and verifying the results of different tests made to insure it wasn't poisoned.

Any girl that married him would ensure herself a comfy apartment between the servant quarters and the suites of the secretaries. She would not be obliged to work anymore, lose all her beauty and charms in guaranteeing that Hinata and Hanabi-hime would always conserve theirs.

The wife of a Hyūga Kō could have easily paraded through the servant quarters and reprimanded the idle. However, he had never seemed interested in any propositions, would they be subtle or blunt.

And more than one dejected girl had spread rumors of him harboring same sex tendencies since he was never said to visit the Hyūga pleasure quarters and kept himself obviously celibate.

Not that anyone would admit that there was such a thing as Bunke girls kept in closed houses for the pleasure of unwed Hyūga shinobi. It would have been a shame, were it known.

And all the bitter girls that had been so eager to smear his reputation had been proven wrong with Hinata-hime's sealing.

Gosh, the image of her limp, seared body thrown over his shoulder as he battled his own _HISS_ men and went against veteran Sōke shinobi! It had been a horrid show to behold.

And his succeeding to escape had brought such undeniable dishonour to the Clan. Hanabi-hime, the lawful heir, had been to blame as well.

It could be imagined that a Bunke, as important as he may have been, could not take down a battalion of Sōke shinobi when the seal was used on him.

Hanabi-hime had given him the right to depart with the body of her elder sister and to head towards the streets of Konoha. Truly disgraceful. Hiashi-sama had not opposed and the Elders had been left to pick up the pieces. Shameful, shameful.

He had been Hinata-hime's caregiver since her youngest age and considered as the most loyal (he would beg to disagree and so would Hiashi-sama) Bunke. He had brought great honor to the serving branch.

The only thing that could have induced him to act against his place and name must have been Hinata-hime herself. She must have charmed him, corrupted him.

And indeed, the whole clan could imagine that such perfect beauty as hers, with that dark long hair, those pulp crimson lips and the curves of her body, could lead a Buddha astray.

Rumors had it that Hinata-hime had been seen in quite a compromising position during the war with another Bunke. The late prodigy Hyūga Neji.

In fact, if those rumors were the truth, and the actions of Kō seemed to give them faith, Hinata-hime would be one of the most promiscuous women the Clan had ever born.

She must have held it from her grandmother and mother, who had also had a sweet spot for Bunke men, so the legend went.

The way Hinata-hime was seated by the pond, provocative and alluring in her beauty, did not do much to prove the servant girls wrong.

She had played a timid maiden without self-confidence while it had brought her the attention of all. She got tired of it, is all. Who were they to judge, when they used the same subterfuges?

Shifting their sleeves, the servants observed Kō as he marched, his head high, his back straight as an arrow and his step fluid and direct, towards the lady by the pond.

Hinata-hime could keep him for all they cared.

He had never been a handsome man. His hair was kept short, a reminder of his subordinate position in the main house. Hyūga preferred their hair long; it was moral (as if morality had anything to do with hair length).

His face was standard. It held no special appeal to make him handsome, an appeal such as for example the androgyny of Hyūga Neji's features. An oval shape of head, slightly trenchant bones of the face, thin lips, big pale eyes. Tall, thin in a way muscular men were.

He was the knight without a name. Every other Hyūga male.

None of the girls of the Clan would have gotten herself sealed for him, had they been Hinata-hime. His only attraction had been a position and he had lost it. In fact, it would have been better for him if Hiashi-sama had listened to the order of the Elders and sentenced him to death.

But no, Hiashi-sama had preferred to produce legal evidence of him having never been signed off his duty as Hinata-hime's _kagemushi_ and hence not being held accountable for his disobedience since his role was to protect Hinata-hime from any danger whether it be internal or external to the Clan.

Of course, no one was off the hook when it came to going against the Elders. And there was no evidence strong enough to hinder the Elders from displaying their authority against the Bunke.

Hyūga Kō had therefore been demoted from his position as general of the _HISS_ and even as shinobi of the internal security squad. At the express demand of the Elders.

He had ended up as Hiashi-sama's personal servant. Tasting the food Hiashi-sama was to eat. Mixing the ink Hiashi-sama used for his _shōga_. Cleaning Hiashi-sama's _gō_ set.

It was a very intimate position, and one of great confidence. It had been Hiashi-sama's response to the Elders' actions against Kō. However, it was not enough to calm the rumors that travelled the compound or to promote him back to his position.

A personal servant was after all nothing but a servant.

The servant girls almost completely uncovered their faces. They wanted to make sure they would see every bit of the scene in front of them (since looking at chakra patterns told you just so much when it came to drama scenes) so that they could rush back to the servant quarters and recount it all, with many additions, of course.

Kō, a _haori_ swung over his shoulder, kneeled in front of Hinata-hime who had stopped playing her instrument. Her lips twitched ever so slightly as he whispered something no one could make out to her. She let him pry away her fingers from the instrument and lay it carefully on the ground.

Pulling her arm towards him, he removed the _haori_ from his shoulder and placed it around her own. Cue to her starting to shiver. Hinata-hime's usually crimson and inviting lips had taken a blue hue and her hair had been tousled by the cold, morning breeze.

Standing up, he pulled her with him, pressing her intimately to his side. That would be enough to feed the gossips for a few days, he knew. But he couldn't care less about decorum. In fact, decorum had become his last worry since his coming back from the hospital.

How easily she sunk against him. Since the age of twelve, it had been a real battle to get her to let him tap the top of her head, let alone let him touch her. However, the war had changed a great many things. So had her sealing. And the last events had only added to the chagrin she bore as a cross.

Leading her slowly towards the main house, he permitted himself to take in her perfume as her head bumped rhythmically against his shoulder. Incense and lavender. She had gone to the memorial temple to pray for her mother's peace again. And Neji's.

How much sorrow there was in that minute body. And he had come to add some more. Oh, how he regretted. Had he known … Had he only known! He would have left her to die. He wouldn't have saved her. No, he would have made himself _seppuku_ and left for his head to be cut off by the first charitable soul that passed by.

But he had not respected her wishes; he had taken her, with his last strength, to the Konoha Hospital to be treated. And thus, he had destroyed both their lives.

He didn't notice how his hand had clamped onto her arm, cutting off the blood circulation. And even the soft moan that escaped Hinata did not snap him out of his dark thoughts. For the Uchiha would come this evening, and every other evening, to _finalize_ things.

No one could know how much Hyūga Kō, a thirty-two-year old sacrificed prodigy, had loved Hyūga Hinata, the nineteen-year old forsaken heir of the Hyūga Clan.

From the moment she would exchange the third sip of green tea with _him_, Kō would not only be banned from loving her because of his social position and his ideals, he would be banned because of _his_ presence.

He had sent to hell his social positon. He had sacrificed his ideals, and those of the _revolution_. For a Sōke, for the forsaken heir of the Hyūga clan. He had fallen in the same trap as Neji. But he would not be able to send Uchiha Sasuke to hell.

Kō led Hinata through the corridors of the main house, turning here and there until they reached her room. She had been moved from the apartments adjoining Hiashi's to those of the head secretary, who had not appreciated being downgraded to those of his right hand.

Pushing the _shōji_ aside, he entered the alcove without feeling like he was penetrating into her intimacy. There was no such thing as shame left between the two of them.

Helping Hinata take place on a _tatami_, he kneeled in front of her and grabbed her face between his hands.

Lifting it up, he got a good look at her tear-filled eyes. Since the sealing, she had been very susceptible to nervous tremors and her mood, that by nature was melancholy, had deteriorated drastically.

As he held onto the soft pale skin, he felt her head shake ever so slightly. Her nerves had sustained extensive damage during the sealing. He knew by heart the name of the medication that she used.

He could not bring himself to say out loud the name of the disease she was starting to develop. At age nineteen. How many decades would she have to live through with that tremor that would get worse and worse?

"I c-cannot d-do it …"

He knew. As the whispered words reached his ear, he already knew that it would kill her.

And yet, he hoped. He hoped that, even if it would tear his heart into pieces, even if it would make him a living ruin of a man (which he already was in so many aspects), she would be able to find something akin to peace, if not happiness, with that _other one_.

Neji had destroyed her. He had taken what she had offered in despair, he had marked her. It was all part of the plan. Of their plan. Worm your way into the heir's heart and take over the Clan. However, no one had expected for him to actually be in love with her.

Who would have thought that Hyūga Neji would sacrifice his life to save that of the Sōke hime? And yet, he had done it. To them, Neji had been more precious than Hinata. Had Hinata died, he would have simply had to seduce Hanabi.

But to Neji, it had not been only a revolutionary plan; it had been a secret desire. The image of the prodigy's lips on Hinata's, of his feral and sensual way of marking her and then, of the blood that gushed through that same mouth that has kissed hers tortured, plagued, haunted Kō.

He could just imagine how they destroyed Hinata.

Before he could step away, the _shōji_ to Hinata's apartments was pushed aside. Snapping his head around, he refrained from letting his chakra flare about. Hanabi was seated on the other side and staring at them with uneasiness.

As Hinata's face slid out of Kō's hands, she did her best to fight against the tears that threatened to fall. Why did he push her to go? Why did they all push her to go? Had she not done everything they had wanted?

She had made Hanabi the heir. The only thing she had gotten from it was disdain from her father, hatred from the Elders, rancour from Hanabi and censure from the Clan. Why had Kō saved her when he had known that salvation was everything but what she wanted?

She had wanted to follow him in death.

Neji. And even in this moment, as Kō shifted sideways to reveal Hanabi seated on the other side of the _shōji_, Hinata thought of Neji.

Would they have been together at the end of the war? Or had it been nothing but the pent up frustration of the battle that had brought him to her?

Would they have battled the Clan's prejudices? Or would he have resumed his position as subordinate? Had he loved her? Or had it been yet another expression of his contempt?

No. If there was one thing Hyūga Hinata, the forsaken heir of the Hyūga Clan, knew, it was that Neji had loved her. In his own, strange and dangerous way.

She turned her head to take one last long look at Kō. He had not seen Hanabi coming, had he? He believed she hadn't noticed it, hadn't noticed the fact that he would startle when someone unexpected appeared.

He had sacrificed his eyes for her. She had demanded to know his prognostic as soon as she had opened her eyes from a three-day coma, after the swelling of her brain had subsided.

And they had not told her. The mednin had all kept quiet and offered her nothing but the comfort of their noncommittal smiles.

And now, he, who had been the only person she had ever truly known, who had changed the sheets of her futon in secret so that her father would not know she still wetted them at age four, who had held her five-year old body against his chest as she screamed for her dead mother, was asking for her to give up on him.

To give both of them up. Himself and Neji.

Kō straightened, the worry visible on his face replaced by an expressionless mask. Turning on his heels, he briskly walked towards Hanabi who had stood up and entered her sister's apartments.

Hyūga Kō had always displayed dominance when in the presence of Hanabi. His eyes hardened as they bore into hers, his spine rigidified and his mouth took a downward curve. To him, the younger daughter had always been a hindrance, a pest and plague.

He associated Hanabi, Hiashi's _beloved_ younger daughter (as if that men could feel anything akin to love), with Hōtaru's death.

He had only seen a shard of Hōtaru's corpse. Or better to say, of her corpse-in-becoming.

The Hyūga mednins had exited through flapping doors, Hanabi wrapped up and screaming in their arms. Curtly, they had passed the newborn to Hiashi and whispered something to his ear.

She was dead, he had said. And yet, when the mednins had entered through the flapping doors again, Kō, with Hinata drooling on his shoulder fast asleep, had seen the blood-covered sheet that had been placed over Hōtaru's body.

Her hand hung from the operation table and in that split of a second before the flapping doors closed on her body forever, Kō had seen it twitch.

He had been eighteen-years old, fourteen years had passed since then, and yet he remembered that twitching hand as clearly as if it had been yesterday.

They had broken Hōtaru's hips to give way to Hanabi, leaving her to die soaked in her own blood. She had been nothing but twenty-five years old. And he had loved her. With the same passion he loved Hinata. With the same intensity he hated Hanabi.

As his shoulder brushed against her, Hanabi could not hinder a shiver from travelling down her spine. She disliked being in his company. She had disliked him as _HISS_ general. She disliked him even more as her father's personal servant.

Wherever she went, he was. And whenever they crossed paths, the aggression he sent her way was almost palpable in the air. She could practically taste it on her tongue. It had the taste of blood.

Had he been asked, Hanabi would have been sealed.

Her instinctive reaction to so much hostility coming her way would was to use the seal. However she had always found her grandfather's propensity to use it at every occasion ridiculous and not fit for a leader. It was hysteric to say the least.

And he departed from her sibling's apartments without budging a muscle in her direction.

As she felt the shōji behind her being slid into place, Hanabi almost let a sigh escape her. She refrained. Carefully approaching her sister's seated form, she didn't know truly what to say. She wouldn't even have been able to explain what it was that she was doing there.

But when her pale eyes locked with Hanabi's, the younger sister's shoulders slumped. More in defeat than in ease. How much Hinata resembled their mother. She had only one picture of her and a name to remember her by.

A picture of a beautiful, soft woman smiling shyly at the camera while a three-year old child played with her long, dark locks. Hinata and their mother. There were no pictures of Hanabi with their mother. In fact, there were no pictures of Hanabi at all.

Hinata had had a team and they had given her pictures. Her _sensei_ had offered her an album to place them in. No one had ever loved Hanabi enough to want to remember her in such a way.

But Hanabi had loved. She had loved this sister. When she had been small, she had seen the _Messiah_ in this older sibling. Hinata could walk on water, Hinata was the Lord descended from Heaven to bring the Good News.

She was a god in Hanabi's pantheon of great deities, right alongside their grandfather and father.

But it had not lasted long. _They_ had beaten it into her that Hinata was a failure to be despised.

Hinata is a _failure_, you are the heir.

Hinata is a failure, you _are_ the heir.

Hinata is a failure, you are the _heir_.

And she had hated Hinata for it. Hanabi had hated Hinata for not having stood up for herself. For not having screamed that she was no failure, that she could be just as much an heir as anybody.

So what if Hanabi was stronger than Hinata?! The Generals of the Sōke had always found it amusing to remind Hanabi how her uncle Hizashi had been in fact much stronger than her father. And the Elders had shamed Hanabi for being weaker than Neji, a Bunke.

And yet, no one had ever discarded her father or herself. But Hinata had always been the scapegoat of the family.

Hanabi could not hold a grudge against that father that she idolised. However against soft and shy Hinata that would simply smile at every ugly word sent her way and welcome each blow with a caress, she had felt more than resentment. Hanabi had hated her.

And now, now that this older sibling had bowed her head to their father and the Elders, had begged to be sealed for Hanabi's benefit, the younger sibling was only left with regrets.

She had reproached for years the fact that Hinata could not hold her own against the Clan. However, when the decision of Hinata's sealing had fallen over the compound, had she gone to the Elders to annul the decision?

No. Because she had been scared of the consequences. Hanabi had been scared to be sealed and left to die. Because deep inside of her, she knew her father would do nothing to save her.

She had gone to Hinata the day of the decision. With rage, with rancour and bitterness. She had scored her older sibling's skin with her teeth, had scratched the pale flesh of her cheeks, kicked her frail limbs. And every blow coming her way, Hinata had welcomed with a kiss or caress.

And here she was now, a soft tremor shaking her head, looking up at Hanabi with those sad, tender and deep eyes. Her pulp lips took a soft curve. She was happy to see her younger sister. She had always been happy to see Hanabi when she could.

"Would _onē-san_ care for some company?"

How harsh Hanabi's voice sounded to her own ear! And yet, the elegant movement of her sister's head spoke of forgiveness. With Hinata, Hanabi could have been free had they not been separated for much of their life.

Now, only the pompousness of etiquette remained between the two of them. Seating herself in front of Hinata, Hanabi was at loss of words. The way her eyes scanned her sister's apartments told Hinata everything.

"_Imōto-san_, d-do forgive my attire. And the lack of r-refreshments. W-Would you want me to go fetch some t-tea?"

Hanabi clicked her tongue. Was it this way that Hinata would wait on her husband every evening?! Subserviently ask Uchiha Sasuke whether he wanted tea. And then slide against his body for the night. When in fact she loved Kō.

What man would have sacrificed his position, his sanity and his life for a woman if between the two of them, there had been no love. That was the only reason Hanabi, one that had never been allowed to dream of it, had forgiven Hinata's choice.

Kō's battered body, as he held onto Hinata's corpse and waited for the seal to finally do him in, was tattooed onto Hanabi's retina. It had been love. The way she had heard about it spoken by the servant girls.

But love did not win in real life, as it did in fairy tales. She had hoped that her intervention would … But no.

"Will you take him?"

Hanabi did not know how to speak normally, without that imperiousness in her voice. She didn't want to attack Hinata. She just wanted to understand.

Hinata did not lose her smile, but her inquisitive eyes shone and her shuddering neck moved forward so she could take a better look at Hanabi through her long, dark lashes.

"The Uchiha", Hanabi snapped with humor.

Her sibling's smile widened ever so slightly.

"If I h-happen to please h-him."

If _I_ happen to please _him_. Not: If _he_ happens to please _me_. Never that.

Hanabi's stare was so intense that Hinata was surprised she didn't make hole in the middle of Hinata's forehead with the intensity. The Byakugan had no integrated laser-beam unfortunately.

It was the common fate of all Hyūga women, some just met up with their destiny younger than others. Hanabi would, hopefully, never know what it meant to be obliged to bow your head and fake delight when an unknown man was brought to your bed.

Hinata had never wanted that to happen to Hanabi. As it had happened to their mother, Hōtaru. As it would happen to herself.

However, Kō was right. He always was.

Hinata would have it better than most Hyūga women. Uchiha Sasuke, if he so happened to want her, was a man free of clan. She would not be stuck desperately trying to ally clan duties and pleasing him.

He was also an absent man. He rarely spent extensive periods of time in the village. He was mostly on mission. When he would be there, she would only have to feed him and open her thighs. Easy, no?

And yet, Hinata had resented Kō's cold rationality and his brashness. He of all people should have not used those words, said those things.

She had hoped that the two of them would have … peace? Together? As they had had when she was nothing but a small girl.

One cannot go back to the past. And as much as she did not want to admit it, she would be her own mistress. An absent man could not discipline a faraway wife. Her father was also right. She would have her own children, to raise as she saw fit.

The fact that Hinata was not an incubator but a kunoichi was a detail. But, with the tremor that shook her hands, she was no kunoichi anymore, anyways. They were all so eager to get rid of her.

And the Elders were ever so eager to meddle into the Uchiha Clan's affairs.

No one cared for her in the Hyūga compound. She had always been an unwanted addition. Neji though had been good to her. His disdain and rancour had given way to brotherly feelings … and love.

And Kō. She should not forget Kō. She wanted to believe that his eagerness to see her off and given to the Uchiha was truly out of concern for her wellbeing.

How she missed Neji. Every breath taken without him had the intensity of fire burning through her. She had hoped to join him … But you never get what you hope for.

A hand clamped onto her wrist. Hinata snapped out of her thoughts to find Hanabi's face so close to hers. Her sister's hand on her arm cut off the blood circulation and bruised her flesh. However, Hinata could not feel the pain because of surprise.

Hanabi, who had never been one for expansive feelings, was staring right into Hinata's eyes with something akin to … _fear_. The courageous younger daughter, valiant in battle and brash in times of peace, was staring at her older sister and begging for support.

"Don't go …"

Hanabi usually screamed, and so this choked whisper hit Hinata like a mass. Hinata had never had a sister. Hanabi had always been running off somewhere with their father.

As a young child, she had been lovely. Spoiled, loud and prone to tantrums, but affectionate and joyful. Especially towards Hinata.

But as soon as Hinata had hit age ten, things had changed. Hanabi had transformed into a sullen five-year old that shot resenting glares at her older sibling. They had parted ways ever so coldly.

Hinata had tried nonetheless to be a sister to her. To bring her back little somethings from her missions. Things that Hanabi would throw to the wall in rage. To send her encouraging words. Words that Hanabi would mock.

And for the first time of their lives, Hanabi was begging for something that Hinata could not give her.

And Hinata realized. It must have been so hard for Hanabi. All alone against the Clan.

Hinata had been out of it half of her life, running after Kiba and Shino or disappearing with Neji to train.

But Hanabi had always been stuck here. Alone.

"_Imōto-san_, would you m-mind g-going to my vanity and f-fetching the hairbrush in the third drawer from the t-top."

Hanabi's mouth distorted. Her rage at her own exhibit of emotions washed over her features and she blanched.

Jumping to her feet, she walked towards the vanity at the other side of the alcove, all but tore the drawer in question out, grabbed the hairbrush in question, rushed back and threw it into Hinata's lap.

Yes, mock. Mock, while you still can, Hinata. Staring at the fine motive on Hinata's forehead, all the resentment towards her older sibling came back.

"P-please seat yourself in f-front of me."

The younger sibling's eyes widened a fraction. But she did obey, out of curiosity mostly. As she prepared to fall back onto her knees, Hinata shook her head.

"W-with your back to me."

Hanabi did as told. For once. Hinata scooted closer and then Hanabi felt it. An electrical shock traveled from head to the curve of her spine as Hinata's hand buried inside of her hair.

It was the first time Hinata had touched her in nine years.

It started, the loving, careful caress of the hairbrush through Hanabi's long, dry and broken hair.

Hinata never pulled. She always grabbed the knot of hair at its base and with her fingers, broke through it without Hanabi feeling as much as a sting.

"Hanabi-chan, you w-will always have your s-sister."

The younger sibling's breath hitched.

"L-Let me go and I w-will be able to serve you better than if I am in the Clan. The Elders w-would not let us associate."

She was right.

Hinata's tone lightened.

"Unless y-you plan on banning your f-faithful s-servant from the compound … Hanabi-sama …"

She did not cry. Hanabi was not one to cry. However, she permitted for restrained, manly sobs to shake her shoulders as her eyes remained dry and fixed on the entrance _shōji_.

She had a sister. She would never be alone again.

**x.x.x.**

It had been two weeks ago.

The Gōdaime, her whiskey colored eyes glazed by alcohol, had stared at him for five minutes, a cup of sake suspended at two centimetres of her lips.

"Come again?!"

"Tch."

He had not repeated himself. Uchiha Sasuke had always disliked this type of boisterous, loud and obnoxious people that got struck dumb at the first rational demand or thought they heard.

And funny, he was mostly surrounded by that type of people. The _dōbe_, Sakura, the Gōdaime. Even Kakashi had his moments of stupidity. As his ex-student and now subordinate, Sasuke could confirm that those moments increased with age.

Just imagining what Naruto would be like at Kakashi-_buchō_'s age almost made him shiver.

He needed to cut this to the chase. Sasuke simply threw a pack of papers onto Tsunade's table, almost flipping the bottle of sake over.

She shot it a glance and the title seemed to strike a nerve. He had found it going through the Uchiha compound after having been forced to take a sick leave. His whole left side still hurt.

His stomach lurched as he remembered their little _ANBU_ mission in Kumo. They had barely made it alive.

Sakura had had to perform an emergency operation on him to retrieve explosive needles that had lodged themselves from his neck down to his calves. A thank you for having tried to save the _dōbe_'s ass. For the hundredth time of the mission.

Sasuke believed he could still feel Sakura's fingers rummaging through his muscles.

And just to make things better, they had been ambushed by those vulture _oinin_. The same gang as always. With a delusional Sasuke developing an infection on half of his body and an exhausted Sakura, a wounded Naruto had stood no chance against those two. He wondered how much they've gotten for that scroll.

A failed mission that had landed Sasuke on sick leave for three godforsaken weeks. He had had some time to spare and go _Freud_ on his own ass. And obviously, clean up part of an old building back in the compound.

It had been damn close. Had that attack happened only two seconds earlier, he would have not been able to turn to the side and it is in his head or left pectoral that a needle would have lodged itself. And the Uchiha gene would have disappeared with him.

Until you turn a certain age, you believe you are immortal and invincible. And then it hits you. Hard. Sasuke felt ancient at age nineteen.

He had done it all. Ran off with a terrorist, killed some terrorists and defeated the ultimate terrorist.

On the side, he'd kind of killed his brother, had sulfurous sex with all types of kunoichi (before killing many of them), tried to pulverize his best friend unsuccessfully a few times. That last thing he still dreamed of quite often.

The point is, he always proclaimed how he wanted to revive his clan, bring back all the glory of the Uchiha to Konoha. And more than one female was ready for it. But he never realized how he had jeopardized that project half of his short life.

Had Sasuke died, the Uchiha clan would have died with him. He didn't know whether this type of realization was called adulthood or the biological clock, but damn him, he needed to reproduce. His semen was screaming the magic words through his balls.

Reproduce. Produce offspring. Spread your seed. _NOW_.

Another reason why it had to be now? Simple, he was not planning on cutting down on his load of missions and hiding under a glass dome. He would die young, at the prime of his youth, doing something completely rash (funny he wasn't already dead).

Or he would end up Hōkage (maybe not after having tried to impose himself as dictator, but hey, he had been young, barely seventeen). Whatever, it almost came back to the same.

Thing was, he didn't know, with how the other countries were rebelling against Konoha (something about imperialism, military protectorates and other things he didn't understand anything about), how long he would last.

Sure, he could leave some of his sperm to be frozen aside for posterity. But he did want to have at least a minimal role in the future organization of the clan. Obviously the old model was a little rusty and needed some updating.

But, even if Sasuke knew nothing about biology, he did realize that maybe there would be some issues around the Uchiha gene. Was it dominant or recessive?

Had Sasuke been a deep-thinker, he would've realized that there must have been a reason that Uchiha only married each other.

But well, he hadn't made a link and had needed to go back _home_ to go through the old volumes and articles found in the Uchiha Scientific Archives. Going back had had him amazed at how organized his clan had been. A village inside of a village. No wonder they had gone evil.

It was in those archives that he had made very disagreeable discoveries. The Uchiha gene was recessive, obviously. He could hear all his fangirls scream in disappointment. He could not just grab the first passerby, drag her into an alley and use her as an incubator for nine months.

But there was something worse than him remaining the last Uchiha forever …

"Are you completely delusional?! You are a criminal! You ran off with Orochimaru, you almost served the world to Madara on a silver plate and then you tried to kick-start a half-assed dictatorship."

The Hōkage was spluttering saliva all over the documents. It took him all his self-control not to roll his eyes at her.

"You think that just because you are an Uchiha, they will let you walk into their compound and pick a customized incubator?!"

Yes. Yes, he did think that.

"You don't know anything about Hyūga traditions. There was never a Hyūga, in the history of Konoha, that married outside of the clan. Never. Do you hear me?! There were two girls that tried to elope in the last hundred years. You know what happened to them?! They were dragged back and executed."

Well, there was always the other option …

"And don't even think about kidnapping one. The whole _ANBU_ will come after your ass. Hell, I'll come after you personally. I don't need a fifth Great Shinobi War on my hands. The Hyūga could blow half the world up if they felt like it. The Sandaime barely contained them when Hyūga Hinata was kidnapped twelve years ago. They wanted to march into Kumo and burn it down to the ground."

Back to what was worse than remaining the last Uchiha in the world.

He did find _one_ article that refuted the idea that the Uchiha gene was completely recessive. Rats that had been genetically modified to express the Uchiha gene had been bred with genetically modified rats expressing the Hyūga gene.

The results had been surprising. It seemed that the Uchiha _dōjutsu_ gene was preferentially expressed over only one other _dōjutsu_ gene, the Hyūga gene. Those were preliminary results. The research had not been continued because … well, there was no one left to continue it.

Where the Uchiha had gotten Hyūga DNA, whether it could apply to humans too, all those things, Sasuke didn't care about. What he did care about were the results. The Sharingan was dominant over the Byakugan.

Hence, breeding with a Hyūga would make for Sharingan-wielding offspring. It would make Uchiha children. In other words, Sasuke needed a Hyūga female while he still had his genitalia attached to his body.

"I almost died three weeks ago. And with me, the last Sharingan."

Opening her arms wide, the cup of sake, forgotten at that point, slipping from her fingers and going to crash against the wall, Tsunade screamed:

"I fucking know that, but I cannot force the Hyūga to do anything. Konoha was built on fucking Hyūga territory."

That was a wrong statement. Konoha was built on indigene Inuzuka territory, but that was a detail. Inuzuka weren't the problem at hand.

"Tch."

Tsunade took in a deep breath. Sasuke had almost died. True.

The Sharingan had almost been wiped off the surface of the earth. True.

Everyone wanted a new Uchiha Clan since the Sharingan was the most powerful _dōjutsu_ ever. True.

And everything it would take to potentially rebuilt the Uchiha clan, and make it work _with_ Konoha instead of against it this time, would be one Hyūga female. True.

The problem was easy to solve at first. Not so easy when you took in account who the leader of the Hyūga Clan was. Hyūga Hiashi. The worst cock-sucking asshole there ever was to lead a Konoha clan.

Uchiha Fugaku had been conniving and backstabbing. He had also been hated by the whole village.

Hyūga Hiashi was conniving, backstabbing and considered by the whole village as the Messiah descended from Heaven to save Konoha's crumbling economy.

They Hyūga Clan was the one making the economy crumble, for God's sake!

But no, no one realized that, because the moment all the import prices went sky-high and the export prices plunged (mostly because of Hyūga speculations), Hiashi came out with a solution to cushion the fall.

And everyone loved him. Of course, besides the Aburame and Inuzuka that counted for peanuts, all the other clans had signed deals and made alliances with the Hyūga. Would there be any way to make Hyūga Hiashi come along?!

Just find a way to make him believe it would be profitable for the Clan to give the Uchiha a woman. Any woman as long as she was fertile. Tsunade could see where this was going and she didn't like it. One bit.

Leafing through the research though, it seemed they had no other choice but to try, at least. Or render incest legal to keep the Uchiha gene in the Uchiha Clan. Which would not happen.

There were limits to what Konoha was willing to do for Uchiha babies.

She didn't even know how the Uchiha had gotten any Hyūga DNA to make that research! Konoha wouldn't be allowed to continue it.

Unless it wanted for the Hyūga to burn it down to the ground. You never knew what those assholes were plotting.

"I can't help you. No one can. The only thing I can do is present you to them and get you in."

And that was all he wanted. He knew a little about the Hyūga. Very little. He had seen and met Hiashi. In fact, Hyūga Hiashi had been the man demanding his execution at the end of the war.

Sasuke could imagine that having an Uchiha walking around the village with his head attached to his body was not a welcome thought to the Hyūga that had finally taken over Konoha as they had always ambitioned.

There was no reason for them to help revive the Uchiha Clan. In fact, there were more reasons for them to want to hinder it. But Sasuke wanted to give it a shot. He was sure they could come to an agreement.

An agreement that would profit the Hyūga and reduce the Uchiha to ruble. However, he had to be frank with himself; there was no Uchiha _Clan_ at the moment. And the only chance for there ever being one rested with the Hyūga.

Sasuke was learning the basics of economy. You give a lot to get a little.

**x.x.x.**

That meeting with Tsunade had been two weeks ago, and Sasuke had to give her props.

When the woman said she would do something, she truly invested all her energy into it. And he knew that there were some hidden motives in the interest she took to his affairs.

A Hyūga sleeping in his bed would be a good solution when it came to Konoha's obsession of keeping an eye on him.

In fact, he already had Hyūga _ANBU_ posted by the windows of his apartment every evening. As if he hadn't noticed. You didn't need the Byakugan to know who was staring at you through the wall of your bedroom.

Well, he hoped they liked the show when he brought back some company.

Tsunade had succeeded in two weeks to get the Hyūga Elders to permit for Uchiha Sasuke to be presented to the clan, since no one entered the compound without being presented by a regular previously.

She was also able to expose the Uchiha's plan to Hyūga Hiashi (by omitting the results of that little research paper, obviously). His answer had been a hell no.

And then, barely a few hours after he had shot her the trademark dismissive Hyūga glare, a courier had appeared with a missive from the Hyūga leading counsel, signed by the Elders, the generals, the leader and the heir.

The Clan would do its best to accommodate Uchiha-san and find him a suitable partner and more than everything, was eager to welcome him to the compound on a fixed date, at a fixed hour. The Hyūga were obviously setting the terms.

Tsunade hadn't liked the tone of the letter. The shark had sensed blood and was in for the kill.

However the Uchiha had almost acted in the same fashion. The first rejection had not fazed him one bit and the fast change of mind had not surprised him. As if it went according to his own plan.

And here they were, staring at each other and feeling strangely out of place. At least Tsunade felt so. You didn't go to the Hyūga Clan dressed in pants and sweaty shirts. When the Hyūga condescended to receive you, they expected for you to be dressed traditionally.

She had even clicked her tongue at seeing Sasuke arrive in a sleeveless kimono adorned with the Uchiha fan.

The sleeveless was too casual, even if made of black silk, and the Uchiha fan was a clan symbol that the Hyūga would not appreciate walking around their perfectly sterilized compound.

At least, he had had the decency to cover his _ANBU_ tattoo with a bandage. Not that the Hyūga didn't already know everything about him and his lifestyle. Konoha had had no other choice but to place Hyūga _ANBU_ on Uchiha guarding duty (they called it Psycho Babysitting between themselves).

And Hyūga shinobi served the Hyūga Clan before the country. Always. You had no choice to have Hyūga shinobi in the _ANBU_, but you did your best to keep them away from administrative and diplomatic duties. Just imagining what a Hyūga could accomplish by being three feet away from the Kazekage got Tsunade to shiver.

They walked side by side without exchanging as much as a word. Uchiha Sasuke did not need for someone to give him etiquette classes at age nineteen. Tsunade was just going as an addition. As soon as she was done with her part of the job, she would find a reason to get the hell out of the Hyūga compound.

The village will learn sooner rather than later what it was that had been said between the Hyūga and the Uchiha. She would be nothing but a fifth wheel and honestly didn't need for Hyūga servants to stare at her with their eerie eyes.

As they approached the sturdy iron gates of the Hyūga compound, Tsunade straightened her back. Armed _HISS_ soldiers waited for them. The Hyūga had the best intern security squad of all the clans.

And it had only gotten better under the lead of the last general. Too bad he had been demoted. As the Konoha Elders had said, he had been a man with whom the village could do business. Stupid Elders.

She could imagine the Hyūga had chosen him exactly because he gave the impression of being cooperative to the outmost while at the same time sweeping all the important details of what was happening behind the walls of the compound under the rug.

"Gōdaime-dōno, Uchiha-sama. The Hyūga Clan welcomes you."

As one of the young soldiers spoke those words and bowed respectfully, the gates were being thrown open and the visitors got a good view of what awaited for them inside.

In two perfectly straight rows, young servant girls holding lanterns were alternated with stern _HISS_ soldiers.

At the first step the Hōkage and the Uchiha took towards them, all of the servant and soldiers shouted the standard words of welcome.

"Gōdaime-dōno, Uchiha-sama. The Hyūga Clan welcomes you."

And in one swish, all the bodies had bowed and only permitted themselves to straighten back up when the visitors had passed by them.

On the porch of a great, black building, stood what seemed to be a servant dressed in a humble gray _yukata_ and holding writing material to his chest. He was flanked by a tall, long-haired, middle-aged man that gave off a vibe Sasuke knew too well. He had the impression of standing in front of his own father.

Hyūga Hiashi. Cold, blank eyes did not leave Sasuke's as he approached towards the building that must have been the Hyūga Hall. Those were the eyes of a man that could kill were he ever to be displeased.

The servant, unlike all the other Hyūga Sasuke had had the opportunity to meet, wore his hair short and naturally exhibited the sign of submission that had been carved onto his forehead. As the man bowed, Sasuke felt the aggression in that lean, muscular body.

Sure, coming into the compound, he had sensed the fact that he wasn't exactly welcome. However, no one had sent their chakra flaring about as that servant. What had crawled up his ass?

Sasuke hadn't come after his wife for sure. Not that he remembered at least. Or after him for that matter, he wasn't exactly Sasuke's type.

"Gōdaime-dōno, Uchiha-_sama_. The Hyūga Clan welcomes you."

Sasuke's brow flared. There was something he did not like about that servant.

However, he was not left to ponder upon why it was that such a perfect killing machine that quivered out of nervousness like a pure blood horse was a mere servant.

As Hyūga Hiashi spoke, Sasuke dragged his eyes back to the leader of the clan.

"Tsunade-san, please permit me to express my joy at seeing you in such good health. Would you and your companion wish to come in?"

No. They just took a stroll through a whole peanut gallery of Byakugan-wielders for shits and giggles. Sasuke hated all the loss of time that pompous traditions implied.

"We do not wish to impose, Hiashi-san."

They would be at it the whole evening.

"But I insist."

For fuck's sake.

"Then, please, take care of us."

And with those words, Tsunade walked up the small wooden stairs that led onto the porch, Sasuke following close behind. The servant had not straightened up before Sasuke had passed by him. But as soon as he had, the Uchiha had needed all his restraint not to activate the Sharingan and go after him.

The servant was sending too many deadly intentions his way. This was not a simple Hyūga hating everything that had to do with the Uchiha Clan. This was a man that had some personal grudge against Uchiha Sasuke.

And Sasuke had no godforsaken idea what he had ever done to the guy. It was the first time he saw him. Or not. He had no idea and couldn't care less. He'd just appreciate if the servant backed the hell off.

Some more servants and soldiers waited for them inside of the building and Hyūga Hiashi lead them through a true labyrinth of hallways. Left, then right, left again, straight, turn around yourself and run after your tail.

As they reached extensive _shōji_ doors, the panels were pulled aside to reveal a spacious room where more people expected them. Seemed like the whole compound had come to stare at the Uchiha as if he were the freakiest freak of this goddamn freak show.

Servant girls motioned for Tsunade and Sasuke to take place in front of all the important Hyūga that stared down at them. All with their foreheads clear and pale while the servants hid theirs under bandages.

The leader walked towards his advisors and generals and seated himself in front of them, by a very young girl, facing the visitors. If Sasuke guessed well, the three elderly individuals right behind Hiashi were the Elders (no shit?). And the men in the back, dressed in _hakama_ and seated like warriors must have been the military advisors, the generals.

The girl must have been the heir. He couldn't imagine they would offer him a girl as young as this one. Then again, she was developing well. But her forehead was unmarred and he didn't expect for them to hand over one of their precious Sōke.

The Uchiha Clan had been much more modern and Sasuke had to admit he would keep it that way. Because honestly, Sasuke had never seen a greater loss of time in his life. And he was friends with Uzumaki Naruto.

The heiress was staring at him intently. A fangirl? Well, if she had ever been one, she'd be the type to enjoy sadomasochism. She sent him the same deadly intents as the servant that had taken a seat on the far left side.

Did he ever break her heart or something? Like threw the little chocolates she made for him in the garbage can. Didn't know, didn't care. But the two of them, the servant and her, made this awkward situation just more uncomfortable.

Before he had the time to shift on his seat as to be placed conveniently to dodge any attack, he felt a hand grabbing the back of his head and almost slamming him nose first into the _tatami_ he was sitting on.

"Honorable Hyūga Elders, Generals, Hiashi-san and Hanabi-san, permit me to present you Uchiha Sasuke, Konoha _jōnin_, son of Uchiha Fugaku."

Hiashi opened his mouth to reply. However, he did not have the time to utter the general greetings since the Uchiha had something to add.

In a clear and trenchant way, Sasuke let his voice ring through the room.

"Heir of the Uchiha Clan."

The response was immediate. He felt the spasm that travelled through Tsunade's hand, he sensed the aggressive servant shift, the heiress stop breathing and the generals get nervous.

The Elders though, they were the dangerous ones since they, and Hiashi, did not seem to be startled the least by his arrogance.

They had expected for him to show his inflexible side eventually. Which meant they already had a plan concerning him. He had supposed as much before setting his foot into the Hyūga compound.

"The Hyūga Clan welcomes Uchiha Sasuke-san, Konoha _jōnin_, son of Uchiha Fugaku and heir of the Uchiha Clan."

There was something to be admired about Hyūga Hiashi's self-possession. Sasuke remembered his father coming back from Clan counsels and swearing at Hyūga Hiashi with all the bile in his body. He had hated him.

And Sasuke could imagine, as he straightened and met the Hyūga's stare, that the feelings had been more than mutual. But it didn't show in any way.

Ensued some unimportant pleasantries. Questions asked to the Hōkage, questions asked to Sasuke.

The heiress did not speak. And honestly, Sasuke did not find her an air of elegance or intelligence. Her eyes were dull. She was the type to not see further than her nose.

Sasuke had indeed heard of lately that the Hyūga had had heir issues. However, he had not paid special attention to it. Looking at that girl though, he could see where the problems lied.

All the eyes that surrounded him, would they be those of the servant, of the Elders, the generals or Hiashi's, were shining with superior understanding. Those were people that were accustomed to think deeply and to assess situations fast.

But the dull eyes of the heiress said the opposite about her own character. She was not soulless but had the same look as many _ANBU_ and _jōnin_ Sasuke had met. She could follow orders to perfection; she was most probably a good warrior.

However, that was what she was, a Konoha kunoichi. That was her only dimension. He wouldn't personally trust her with clan affairs or diplomacy.

The look Hiashi shot Tsunade was a cue for her to disappear. It was amazing how he had trained her to obey him. She knew quite well that he held a sword of Damocles above her head and that the real ruler of the village at the moment was Hyūga Hiashi.

And you know what? She didn't care. She had been forming a transitional government since the end of the war and the switch of power was nearing. Bowing graciously, a smirk playing on her lips, the Gōdaime bid her goodbye in simple terms.

"Honorable Hyūga Elders, generals, Hiashi-san, Hanabi-san, permit me to leave Uchiha-san in your care. I must depart, obligations await."

And with those words, and of course more pleasantries exchanged by all the parties, Tsunade dumped the Uchiha and saved her sanity. And funny how the whole atmosphere changed at once.

"Uchiha-san, we know what you came for. We are willing to accommodate you. In the upcoming days and weeks, we can decide on the mutual agreement concerning our _cooperation_."

Cooperation. Yes, nothing was free with the Hyūga Clan. And Sasuke mustered all his self-control to suppress a smirk. Look at the Hyūga getting straight to the point after at least an hour of bullshitting.

"I would like indeed to determine the terms of our _cooperation_. However, knowing how organized the Hyūga Clan is, I can imagine you already _drafted_ a proposition."

His words were biting and sardonic, he cared little about the offended glare the generals at the back shot him. The Elders and Hiashi remained expressionless. He strangely felt like a mouse surrounded by cats.

No, Uchiha Sasuke was not a mouse. If anything, he was a rat.

"Where is the rush, young man? Such agreements are drafted on long periods of time to please all the parties concerned."

The Elder that spoke held a strong resemblance to Hiashi and the heiress. And the smile he shot Sasuke would have scared any man. The Elder's fine, sharp teeth glistened in the light and he saw the assembly freeze out of displeasure.

So, he was the brain, wasn't he? Small old man with one vicious sparkle in his pale eyes.

"Why do we not tackle the most important point tonight and leave the details for another time?"

The most important point? How Sasuke was going to lick their ass from now on?

As the Uchiha's brows furrowed ever so slightly, the Elder's smile widened.

"The woman, Uchiha-san. You did not believe we would force a woman upon you, did you? Now, now. We selected, Uchiha-san. We selected carefully based on accessible information and tried to make the most suitable match among our daughters. But, if the woman does not please you, there would be no interest in forcing the two of you into matrimony. We only desire happiness for our Hyūga daughters."

Sasuke was starting to worry what it was that they would offer him. In his head, this was supposed to be an exchange. Hand over a fertile female for, most probably, _fidelity_ to Hyūga interests.

There had been no question of Sasuke actually having to determine whether he wanted the female or not. Of course he didn't! What type of question was that?! He had no other choice but to resort to the Hyūga Clan because of genetic reasons. Sooner or later, he would have come to knock at their door.

"Hn."

That was as explicit as he could get on that question.

"Well then, let us present the lady that would be, to our humble opinion, the most suitable to bear the Uchiha name and serve _your_ interests the best."

Funny, Sasuke did not trust the Hyūga when it came to his marital felicity. In fact, he could bet that the woman they would offer him would be as far from his ideal as was say … Yamanaka Ino.

But he did deign to direct his attention to the _shōji_ panels behind the generals. The room had many exits. They had chosen it most probably in case he decided to after all kill them all so they could have more than one escape.

The _shōji_ slid apart and seated on the other side was a woman. Her hands were on her knees and her eyes cast to the ground.

As she stood up, Sasuke noticed that she was taller than what he would have expected. Easily his own height. If there was one thing Uchiha Sasuke disliked, it was dominance. He could not bear the idea of someone towering over him.

Had he been asked at that moment if he would keep her, he would have said no. However, since it was not yet the time to express his opinion, he kept his mouth shut, a spasm of dislike shaking his jaw.

However, as she took her first step towards him, he had to commend her for her strides. Her steps were not ridiculously short in order to make the bottom of her kimono flutter and they were not grotesquely long as to make her appear uncoordinated.

She walked straight into the room, slowly, with her eyes directed behind him. She did not condescend to shoot him a glance.

Her apparition earned her whispers of admiration from the military advisors. Trust a soldier not to know how to contain himself in front of an attractive woman. Because she was attractive, Sasuke could not take that away from her.

All Hyūga women were attractive. They were women. Some clans produced women, others girls.

The Nara, Yamanaka and Aburame girls were all mostly lean and unappealing. They were livelier than the Hyūga for sure, and much more amusing, however they had nothing purely carnal to commend them.

However, the Inuzuka, Akimichi and Hyūga delivered true women to the village. Of which the Hyūga were the most beautiful. And the specimen Sasuke was left to admire was not less beautiful than the women he rubbed shoulders with in the _ANBU_.

They all had those curves that would make the _ANBU_ shinobi turn their heads as they passed by. Always together, always in a group of Hyūga. Heavy, formed breasts, narrow waist and rounded hips.

When Hyūga _ANBU_ kunoichi lazily swayed their hips out of the training facilities, all the men stepped aside to let them pass and have a good view of their backside that never disappointed.

Sasuke did so too, he had no shame in admitting it. There was no man that would refuse a Hyūga woman if she offered herself. The fact was, none of them would ever do so. They were cold and uninterested, arrogant and silent.

Cock-blocking prick-teases as Naruto had so politely put it one time.

And the one that marched towards him, her eyes looking right passed him as if he didn't exist was no different. Dressed in a dark blue kimono of great quality that underlined all her attributes, she was a beautiful spectre of a woman.

Because, unlike that heiress that gasped at her appearance, unlike the servant whose jaw had jumped as the _shōji_ doors had been slid aside, unlike the generals that whispered their admiration, she had no reaction.

And unlike the Hyūga _ANBU_ kunoichi that moaned at least of pain when he went against them during trainings, this one looked like she would take away even that small pleasure.

She seated herself beside Hiashi, her hands resuming their position on her knees. Closer as she was, Sasuke could continue observing her, looking for a flaw he was sure not to find.

Her heavy dark hair had been pulled into a loose bun at the nape of her neck and no ornaments had been pushed into it. She was not made up. The Hyūga were confident that her natural beauty was enough to commend her. And Sasuke could not disagree.

She did not need artifices. Her skin was white as snow, perfect and unblemished. Her lips crimson and pulp, demanding a man's kiss. Her eyes though, her eyes disgusted him. She kept them lowered on the _tatami_, but through her long, black eyelashes, and even through her eyelids, he knew she watched him.

He felt it. He felt her unwavering gaze on him, even if she seemed to be shyly staring at the ground.

Slowly, deliberately lowering her hands onto the tatami, she bent over, her marred forehead softly pressing onto her phalanges.

"Uchiha-s-san, my name is Hyūga Hinata, p-please take care of me."

"Tch."

Her voice was barely audible and held no confidence. It was shaken by a tremor. Like her whole body, he realized as she straightened. They were almost invisible, but tremors travelled through her neck, shoulders and arms.

He would not take her. He had no taste for the broken ones. As expected of the Hyūga, they had tried to get rid of one of their failed ones. The joy they would feel at seeing deformed Uchiha children walking through the streets of Konoha.

However, before he had the time to state his decision, the servant with the deadly intent rushed towards Hiashi with a low table and placed it in front of the leader, softly approaching his face to Hinata's.

Besides Hanabi, no one noticed the intimate movement. Not even Sasuke who intently observed the scene.

Once the table had been installed in front of Hiashi, documents were handed to him by the same servant. And then, Mister Deadly-Intent headed towards Sasuke and bowed to him.

"Sasuke-sama, please approach Hiashi-sama."

Sasuke had a great knowledge of snakes. And that had been the hiss of one. But he obeyed. He would aggravate the Clan with his refusal; he liked the idea of appearing compliant before doing so.

As Sasuke seated himself, Hiashi handed him the stack of documents while the heiress let all the disgust the Uchiha inspired her show on her attractive, yet vulgar, features.

It was one thing Sasuke reproached all kunoichi. Their vulgarity. All of them, even the beautiful Hyūga, lacked of femininity, softness and grace.

All of them … besides … the one seated on Hiashi's left.

Even closer as he was now, he remarked how her eyes under her lashes were not aggressive, nor taunting; they were truly lowered in respect and fright, not servitude or perversion. At the base of her throat, he noticed a vein palpitating frenetically.

But her facial features remained the same, rigid and unchanging. That Hinata, as she called herself, was like a porcelain doll. Just a doll with add-ons to make her seem more real. Like a palpitating throat for example.

Sasuke's eyes brushed over her forehead that held the Bunke seal to turn towards the papers he had been handed. With boredom etched on his features, he turned the first page and froze.

'Hyūga Hinata, daughter of Hyūga Hiashi.'

Everything was written on the first page. Her age, her height, her weight, her fertility status. The date she was sealed.

What decorations, and there was a good number, she had received as war hero. The date she had retired from her _jōnin_ duty.

Cerebral stroke. Upper-body tremors.

He did not understand anything of what was written and did not wish to turn the page and immerse himself in all the military and medical documents that were attached.

This situation was almost amusing.

"The older daughter sealed and the younger daughter heiress. That is quite … original. And very unexpected from the Hyūga Clan that values tradition above everything. Would there be an anecdote behind those events?"

Sasuke seldom opened his mouth to speak. When he did, he went straight to the point. However, he had come into the Hyūga compound as the underdog that was willing to sell his pride and soul for a living incubator. He could at least permit himself a few sarcasms.

Hiashi's brow flared. The servant on the side straightened. The generals huffed.

However, the Elders remained expressionless. And strangely, so did that Hinata. Nothing, not even a blink out of beat to inform Sasuke she had heard his words. The heiress though was fuming.

"She decided so."

As Sasuke had thought, the heiress was a brash, vulgar and most probably stupid girl. But the way she had said those three words had held so much warmth that had Sasuke been one to be touched by feelings, he would have felt respect towards that heiress that protected her older sister.

However, Sasuke was not one to care for such things and hence only let a cynical smirk cross his lips. But the woman on Hiashi's left did not budge an inch.

And it aggravated him.

"So many decorations. But then, it was the norm to generously distribute them at the end of the war."

Again, no response from the Elders. Or from Hinata. Would he have to spit into her face for her to finally look up at him?

The rage at her indifference got him to turn a page. And then another, and another. He scanned the documents with little attention, only remembering details.

She was frail and destroyed. The scans he looked at, he did not understand. But words such as minor brain stroke, upper-body low amplitude tremors, he did understand quite well to know that this was not the woman for a shinobi.

And yet, the more he tried to beat it into his head, the more his rage towards her grew. Why would she not look straight at him, why such indifference?!

There was one thing Uchiha Sasuke was sure about; this Hyūga Hinata had never been one of his fangirls.

That one Elder's voice cut through the haze of Sasuke's thoughts, distorted and compelling.

"Does she please you, Uchiha-san?"

And at that moment, she raised her eyes and turned her head towards him.

He believed he saw her lower lip quiver, but he would not bet his life on it. Her features remained as cold and unchanging as they had been from the first moment she had stepped into the room.

Why ask, when they already knew the answer?

…

_**yukata **_**: cotton kimono**

_**shamisen **_**: Japanese guitar **

_**yōkyoku**_** : type of song in Nō theater**

_**Nō**_** : masked theater play**

_**geisha**_**: Japanese high-class hostess**

_**shōji **_**: rice-paper door**

_**kagemushi **_**: bodygyard**

_**shōga**_** : calligraphy painting**

_**gō**_** : Japanese game, more or less similar to checkers**

_**haori**_** : coat, vest **

_**seppuku**_** : act of committing suicide by plunging sword into stomach**

_**tatami**_** : rice-filled mat**

_**onē**_** : older sister**

_**imōto**_** : younger sister **

_**dōbe**_** : idiot**

_**buchō**_** : general, captain**


	2. The Beauty of Broken Things

**A/N: Instead of studying, I update. What do you want me to tell you, you gotta set your priorities straight.**

**A huge thank you to my beloved SabakunoAngel that force-feeds me inspiration.**

**So funny thing about chapter 1, TFH gets all the follows and favorites, while my other story gets all the reviews. Barely a few hours/days after I published chapter 1 of **_**The Forsaken Heirs**_**, **_**The Glam Show**_** got plenty of reviews. **

**It seems the GaaHina clan is stronger than the SasuHina, what a disappointment. Unless you guys want to prove me wrong :P Come on SasuHina fans, prove us all that GaaHina got no shit on you.**

**I owe LookingForEmile, I Liked The Story, Guest and SarahNia some homemade dinner, a beer and then some (no, no, not that some, unless …). Your reviews were mind-blowing, flattering and certainly undeserved, but thank you! To all those that followed and favorited, you blew my mind. It was a tempest of love, I still can't believe that what I got with 4 chapter of TGS, I got with one of TFH. **

**Enjoy the chappie, some SasuHina, a lot of KōHina and all my love.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.**

**The Forsaken Heirs**

_Chapter 2_

The Beauty of Broken Things

_By_

_Voyna_

To his greatest horror, the Hyūga compound had almost become a second home. Had anyone ever told him that he would be marching through Hyūga streets, be force-fed Hyūga food and ever bow to any Hyūga officials, he would have _Mangyekō_'d that loonie's head off.

But here he was. Uchiha Sasuke, the last Uchiha (hopefully not the last Sasuke), the dark prodigy, the Avenger and dangerous Konoha ANBU, walking towards the main family's mansion (it was just a very big traditional wooden building, it didn't deserve the title of mansion, if you asked him). As he had been doing every other day for the last two months.

Who would have thought that drafting a _prenup_ would take so long?! Well, count on the Hyūga to make all types of complications. For the past two months, they had been discussing the renovation of the Uchiha compound. He hadn't even thought about the compound. Could he just have the girl?! Without all the _add-ons_.

Fact was, Hyūga Hinata was coming with a lot of add-ons, and he wasn't thinking about her breasts (well, not only) and the multitude of colorful and intricate _kimono_ he had seen her in. For example, they were expecting for him to move out from his apartment (a.k.a throw his bachelorhood and freedom out of the window) and move into one of the ritziest suites in downtown Konoha.

Their little jewel (funny, they seal the girl, roast her brain cells and then start treating her as if she were gold) could not be imagined to live in a crummy apartment in a crummy part of town, right? The renovation of the Uchiha compound was another add-on, plus her dowry that had shocked him. Ok, he would have been shocked if he hadn't been immune to virtually everything. Uchiha Sasuke was simply immune to life.

It felt as if they were paying him to just take her away. He didn't need the money. And it was a good thing because as soon as the amount had been mentioned, the little heiress, feisty tiny thing who seemed to have a sister complex, had demanded for him to sign an agreement that his _fiancée_ would administer the dowry as she saw fit.

Funny how things went. Konoha had locked him out of the Uchiha Clan's funds and here he had the Hyūga heiress battling teeth and claws for him not to touch a penny of her sister's dowry. They were all lucky Uchiha Sasuke wasn't a money guy.

Sometimes the Uchiha had the impression it was the heiress that he was marrying and not her sister. Hinata and he had exchanged about three words in two months. And he planned very much not to exchange any at all once they were married. Her unconfident, quivering voice made him want to punch something.

There was nothing that aggravated Sasuke more than a lack of confidence. No, in fact there was only one thing that made him more livid than wishy-washiness. Naruto. That was it. No wonder people thought the two of them were an item when Sasuke mixed the _dōbe_ in his thoughts about his _fiancée_.

All this bullshit was honestly taking a toll on his health. His mental health. He felt like he couldn't concentrate on anything. Lucky thing Ono was under control these days. The last few times he had been sent on the field, it had been to hunt down some Ono terrorists. Idiots that proclaimed some ideology along the lines of _power to the people_. Revolutionaries. Sasuke had been there, done that.

These past two months had been calm. Training with the ANBU. Getting fucked over by the Hyūga. Eating and showering somewhere in there. Sleeping as little as possible since the _in-laws_ made sure he had homework to do for the next day. Everyone was strangely nervous though. As if something big was to happen. Not that anyone told Sasuke.

Kakashi smiled too much. Naruto jumped too little. The ANBU shifted two nanometers too far. Hyūga Hiashi became grimmer by the day, Hyūga Hanabi clicked her tongue more, heck even those Elders Sasuke had mistaken for mummies breathed more than the usual.

The only unchanging ones were the servant and the _fiancée_.

Kō, Sasuke had made sure to learn his name. The heiress had gotten accustomed to him and only showed annoyance at his apparition. No more deadly intents.

However the servant's mood had not changed one iota. Whenever he was called to Hiashi, Sasuke made sure to have a good grip on one of his _kunai_. The servant was a danger. And Sasuke was returning him the unspoken threats.

As weeks passed by a certain doubt had wormed its way into Sasuke's thoughts. Could that Kō be …

No, Sasuke was positive that the soldier had had long hair. Long, dark hair. That was the last thing Sasuke had seen before he had been blinded. And he was quite sure he had killed the shinobi. His hand had penetrated the man's stomach and he had sent a wave of chakra through it before he collapsed.

The Hyūga who had stolen his victory …

Before Sasuke could let his dark musings ruin his already bad mood further, a Branch servant ran out of the main family's mansion and accosted him.

"Uchiha-sama, since you are early, the Elders would like to invite you to drink tea with them. Please follow me."

With the Hyūga, there was no _would you like_. The only people that _would like_ were the Hyūga. You could translate that to _obey or die_. And Sasuke certainly wasn't early. There was nothing in the world that could force Uchiha Sasuke to be early for a meeting with the Hyūga. In other words, Hiashi didn't have time for him and had arranged for the mummies to keep him busy.

Joy. But he followed nonetheless. The mansion was just as labyrinthine as the Hyūga Hall and Sasuke would have been hard-pressed to tell you where the washroom, any of the twenty washrooms they must have had in there, was.

The servant, who wasn't _the_ servant (thank Lord), motioned for Sasuke to kneel in front of a _shōji_. All that kneeling, entering, kneeling was getting the best of Sasuke's knees. But he obeyed. They were training him well, he had to admit. However, by nature, he was more polite than most of his peers. A spank by Fugaku's hand had a way to set a man on the right path for the rest of his life. Or not.

Once inside, Sasuke was greeted by only one Hyūga Elder. The grandfather. The dangerous one. And it took all of Sasuke's self-restrained, as he seated himself in front of the old man, not to shiver from revulsion. He wasn't disgusted by the man's appearance, he held his own against age, but by his eyes. Cold, unchanging eyes, glazed like those of a dead fish.

Hinata's eyes. With those thick, long eyelashes and that slight tint of lavender in their middle. Nice to know whose genetic luggage he could thank for the next eighty years of misery he was facing. Not that Sasuke planned on making it that old. If he made it passed twenty-five, he would be quite happy.

"Young man. It is a joy to see you in such good health. Youth is a blessing. And it is most kind of you to keep a poor elderly man company."

Yeah, right. That poor elderly man could most probably go against Kakashi-_būchō_ and hold his own. But Sasuke refrained from commenting. The _shōji_ to the inner garden was wide open and the cold light of an autumn day seeped into the Elder's alcove. The tea on the table made sophisticated fumes roll around them.

Hyūga eyes as seen through fumes seemed even eerier. Sasuke had noticed that this particular Elder had the bad habit of staring right at him. He was evaluating him insistently. But even that was better than Hinata's indifference. She had that way of looking at him through her eyelids, while keeping her eyes seemingly turned towards the ground.

Hyūga never stared directly at people, unless they were quite secure about their position of power over them, like that Elder. No, they usually kept their eyelids lowered. However, their heads were always turned towards the interlocutor to pay him some respect and show that they were listening. Of course, they stared right at you through the skin of their eyelids, but you just had to convince yourself they were truly staring at the floor.

However, Hinata's head was always set straight and she never turned it towards Sasuke when he spoke. As if she had no interest in what he was saying. In fact, he was quite sure she never listened to anything that was being said by any of the parties.

She was living in her own world. And he would have to make do. Whatever, he preferred that to an Ino or a Sakura that you couldn't shut up.

Soulless porcelain doll with the coldest fingers that had ever touched him (ok, touched his hand, inadvertently at that). What Hyūga Hinata was in a nutshell. A shaking porcelain doll.

"It seems we will have some rain."

The elder pointed at the sky, visible through the leaves of a big weeping willow at ten feet from them.

And here we go. They would go through all the meteorological previsions for the next three years.

Today was Sasuke's lucky day. During the training he had had one of the ANBU girls he'd fucked some time ago break into tears and accuse him of being a womanizer that had abused her innocence. What innocence?! Then he had come home to find that the neighbors from above had had some damage to their piping. His kitchen had been soaked. Hello fungi. And now, he had a decrepit, potentially delusional mummy hitting the weather subject.

Kill him now. If you can, that is.

"Young man, have you ever wondered how seasons are similar to shinobi? Spring is the birth of a strong will. Ideology blossoms and the body develops. Summer is the time of work. In the summer of his life, the shinobi is fully developed and it is time for him to reap the fruits of his labor. It is a great period of struggle and of questioning. Fall is the beginning of the end. The body gives in to age and wounds, however the mind is strong and it flourishes in beauty and color. Finally comes winter. Death. And that is where the similarity ends. Because, unlike the seasons that are reborn, the shinobi is no more. At least so they say."

The eyes of the Elder bore right through Sasuke's. The fumes of tea hazed the young man's mind and those eyes felt like cold daggers being pushed under his eyelids. The Hyūga must have developed a new method for lobotomy. Stun people with an overly philosophical weather speech.

"But sometimes a shinobi can be reborn as well. From his own ashes, like a phoenix. As long as he has the patience and the will to start anew."

The Elder took a sip of his tea and motioned with his head at Sasuke's cup. Sasuke ignored the unsaid message. He would drink when it fucking pleased him. For all he knew, it could've been poisoned. Wouldn't be the first goddamn time the Hyūga came after his ass.

As if reading his mind, the carnivorous smile that was etched on the old man's thin, wrinkled mouth stretched.

"It is truly a shame you did not succeed, Uchiha-san."

Not the right thing to say. By a long shot. Sasuke's back straightened immediately and the glare he shot the Elder was one of warning. Hyūga shouldn't fuck with him when it came to what had gone down two years ago.

But of course, the threat the _Sharingan_ represented was not big enough for the old man to shut up as he should have.

"It is rare that someone so young understands the necessity of unifying the world to one common standard. It is the basis of peace. Only a world where there is one ideal to serve can be a happy world."

"Obviously, the Hyūga would feel miserable in a peaceful world."

The Elder did not flinch at Sasuke's hiss. How one man could be as sturdy as that small vicious grandfather was beyond the Uchiha. However, being old was certainly not enough of a reason for Sasuke to back off from him.

"So bitter, young man. You should not accuse the Hyūga for something they have not done."

The rage that took over Sasuke made him quiver ever so slightly. He was pulling a _Hinata_. Bile filled his mouth. He was so close to activating the _Sharingan_ and going after the elderly Hyūga. And the old piece of shit fucking knew it. It was the reason he was provoking him.

But, pretending to be unaware of the latent danger Uchiha Sasuke represented, the Elder, his cup of tea cradled in his hands, leaned over the table. Closer to the young man. His sharp small teeth that had always made Sasuke scowl glinted in the fading light of the day. He let a low chuckle escape. The Uchiha felt naked in front of that prying, pale glance.

"Uchiha-san, it has not been the Hyūga Clan's decision to ever go against you. We have always kept our men outside of the conflict you had with the village."

Fair enough. Sasuke never had a Hyūga come after his ass before the war. Not that he could remember, anyway. That day had been the first he had seen one up close.

"It had been the unadvised decision of one of our members that rushed our men onto you. It could have had catastrophic outcomes for the Hyūga Clan …"

_Had you succeeded_. Those were the words he left to linger between them. Yes, the Hyūga were known to battle only when the outcome was determined and in their advantage.

"Who was it? Tell me his name."

And for the first time since Sasuke had met him, the Elder had a change in expression. Besides a dry smile that never reached his eyes. He furrowed his thinning brows ever so slightly. It was barely visible; however Sasuke had always had eagle eyes when it came to these types of things. But realization seemed to hit the old man, and instead of a grim reply, Sasuke received a truly genuine smile.

Uchiha Sasuke had always thought he was immune to anything and everything. He was immune to life. And yet, that smile made him reconsider big time. He felt something akin to fear, noticing the ray of light that seemed to pass through the Hyūga's eyes.

"Oh, Uchiha-san, it was someone of no consequence, someone that doesn't exist anymore."

So after all, as he had thought, Sasuke had killed the shinobi that had stolen his victory. Yet, he couldn't feel at ease with the news. The glimmering teeth of the Elder, sharp and ready to sink themselves into Sasuke's skin, made him believe that there was something, some kind of sinister joke, that he didn't get.

In fact, as with Orochimaru, he felt like there was a whole word he could not see, hidden behind all the closed _shōji_ of the main family's mansion.

"Uchiha-san, you took the right decision by choosing Hinata. She will redeem you …"

**x.x.x**

"No."

"Uchiha-san, what benefit would there be for the Hyūga Clan to renovate the Uchiha compound if it could not be rented for a determinate period of time?"

"I never demanded for you to invest money into the renovation of the Uchiha compound."

One of the generals, middle-aged and drunk with self-importance (he really did look like an arrogant drunkard, if you asked Sasuke), gave Sasuke the evil eye. And Sasuke shot him an irate glare in response. There was no fucking way he would lease thirty percent of the Uchiha compound to the Hyūga so they could cram in their homeless.

It was none of his business how many children the Hyūga produced and the fact they would need to expand their compound to accommodate their growing population. However, Sasuke was quite sure that if he let one Hyūga, beside his future wife, set a foot onto Uchiha territory, he would never get rid of that mass of parasites. So, no.

"Uchiha-san, we are talking about a very profitable rental for you. Not only would you benefit from the renovation of a compound that would welcome your wife, future children and eventually descendants, but you would also be able to invest that money in good ventures that would most probably permit the Uchiha Clan to compensate for the illegitimately lost capital."

Hinata inched closer to him and he sensed her delicate perfume. She had not heard a thing they had been saying, he knew. And even if she had, she wouldn't have cared. Again, that servant Kō and her were in a world apart, unchanging and unyielding. However, she still carried out all the tasks expected from an eldest daughter.

The sleeve of her colorful kimono brushed against Sasuke's elbow and he had to use all his self-restraint not to push her away. Carefully, she sipped _sake_ into his cup, the amber liquid sending a gleam of yellow light over her pale fingers. She was dead. Elegantly so. Sasuke had heard stories concerning puppet masters that transformed people into marionettes. He did not know which one had taken care of Hyūga Hinata, but he had done a mighty good job.

Were they trying to get him drunk so they could snatch the Uchiha compound away? Because honestly every time he was finished with one cup, that life-sized doll had to fill him another one. Hospitality Hyūga style. He remembered his father calling the Hyūga alcoholics. Each general had his own bottle and they had already gone through three at least … per head. However, the more they drank, the sharper their wits got.

Pushing the cup aside, he shot Hiashi a menacing glare. The leader appeared highly uninterested by Sasuke's struggle with the generals. The asshole had most probably paid them to introduce the subject so he wouldn't have to. As their eyes met, the Hyūga's brow flared. What was it with this new generation? Always going against the decisions of their elders. Mind you, Hiashi should have not been one to talk. He and his Elders went way back when it came to struggles.

"If Uchiha-san believes that this is an unfair bargain, we can leave things where they are. Fortunately, your name has yet to be placed beside my daughter's in the Konoha Annals. This is the right moment to break off the engagement."

Hyūga asshole. They made Sasuke seem like a fucking beggar, and you could imagine how little he appreciated it. He felt as if they were trying to take over his life. No, he felt like they were trying to train him so they could use him. To transform him into a puppet.

Turning his cold, dark eyes, he got a glimpse of Hyūga Hinata whose breathing had remained calm and controlled even after her father so dismissively suggested their engagement be broken off. The Hyūga were trying to transform him into her. A pretty object that let them lead her blindly through life. She was so malleable, so pliable. It had attracted Sasuke, however there was no fucking way he would let them break him in such a way.

The Hyūga that would outwit an Uchiha was yet to be born. Moving his eyes to Hiashi's hands, Sasuke evaluated the situation. The Hyūga leader appeared at first as having the greatest self-control one could encounter. But it had taken Sasuke only a few weeks to catch the tremor that went through the top of Hiashi's right hand when he was pissed. And what did you know, there it was, that almost invisible tremor.

Sasuke couldn't save the Uchiha compound, he wasn't stupid. Hiashi had threatened him from breaking off their agreement and he was the type of man to keep his word. However, he could make the Hyūga hurt.

"The Hyūga are already expanding on a four kilometer radius from the compound. The renovation of the Uchiha compound will take about one year. Preparing that new Hyūga _territory_ will take about three, since there is no clan more organized than the Hyūga."

The smirk that grazed Sasuke's lips made a general growl. What was his name again? Sasuke hadn't cared to learn it.

"I am willing to accommodate Hyūga families on a three-year period. We have unused habitation complexes on the periphery of the compound. They could lodge about three hundred people; I believe that is quite sufficient. We are talking about ten million _yen_ per year, for a total of thirty million _yen_ on a three-year period. Later on, if it suits the Hyūga, the lease can be renewed."

Oh-ho, the generals weren't happy. Was this the moment he took out his _kunai_? He was itching for a good fight. However, it was the servant sitting behind Hiashi that interested him. Hyūga generals were too bombastic for Sasuke, but Kō that held a black writing stone over Hiashi's shoulder, not shifting an inch, was more to his taste. But the servant wouldn't even meet his eye, just like his _fiancée_.

"These complexes you are referring to are ruins. There is no sewage system, let alone electricity or water", a general spluttered.

Turning his head to the man, Sasuke examined him for twenty seconds. Letting his stare sink through those pale, fascinating eyes. Yes, as disgusted as Sasuke was by the _Byakugan_, it still fascinated and called to him. As the general bit down on his tongue, Sasuke swept over the whole assembly in one glance.

"The Hyūga are so willing to invest in the Uchiha compound. I am quite sure they would not mind to brush up the buildings in question. The Uchiha Clan cannot do more."

The response was instantaneous, but it did not come from the Elders, the generals or Hiashi. It was the small heiress seated by her father's side that leaned over the table in one movement. She was fast and precise. Sasuke had seen her coming. But barely.

With her face a few inches from his, the Uchiha noticed that even if at first glance she looked very much like her father and grandfather, there were some things in the shape of her nose and the form of her chin that reminded of Hinata.

"There is no such thing as the Uchiha Cla– "

Before she had the time to finish, Hiashi had raised his left hand, while his right was travelled by uncontrolled tremors. Oh, yes. Hyūga Hiashi was pissed and Sasuke almost felt his balls swell in ease. And look at the peanut gallery, even the rabid heiress, back off immediately. This was going to get good …

"Fine. Kō."

Oh, for fuck's sake. The only thing Uchiha Sasuke achieved in the end was to make Mr. Deadly-Intent pass Hiashi a blank scroll. He had hoped for a meltdown, an apocalypse, just a reason to _Susanoo_ them all! Count on Hyūga Hiashi to keep the situation under control till the last moment. He was starting to hate his future father-in-law.

But that is when he noticed it in the corner of his eye. It had been almost imperceptible and disappeared as soon as he got a glimpse of it. Hyūga Hinata. Gracefully seated on his left, her back as straight as an arrow and her eyes cast on the low table they were all seated around, Hyūga Hinata had moved.

And he didn't mean the way she had to shake like a leaf or her deliberate movements to accomplish some trivial task. No, it had been on her face. Around her mouth. Sasuke could swear that for an instant he had seen the corners of her pulp lips pull up a nanometer.

And he didn't like it. _His_ Hinata was a doll, a thing. The type of woman that accomplished her duty by turning her head to the side and opening her thighs wide. A cold corpse that men buried themselves in out of obligation. And he wanted to keep her that way. Uchiha Sasuke did not need a being made of flesh, desire and sin. He wanted the perfection of void. And joy, mirth, hilarity were anything but perfect.

Hiashi, his eyes twinkling, maybe because of alcohol, maybe because of some dark knowledge, turned a scroll towards Sasuke and handed him the brush he had been using to draft the contract.

And surrounded by all those arrogant generals, by the Elders that stared right at him, by the raging heiress, the deadly servant and the plastic _fiancée_, the Uchiha felt like he was signing a deal with the devil.

Do you know how much your soul costs?

Sasuke's was available for rent. Thirty million _yen_ for a three-year lease. If he signed that scroll, there was more than simply some abandoned buildings outside of the Uchiha compound he would be signing off. He was signing off his peace of soul. He would not only marry into the Hyūga Clan, he would be absorbed by it till he became one with them.

"Thirty million _yen_, three years, Uchiha-san."

Fuck you, Hyūga Hiashi. Well, if the Hyūga thought that Sasuke was nothing but a dog wagging his tail at his master … they were right. In fact, they have never been more right about something. Swallowing the bile in his mouth, his hand shaking with rage (it seemed it was the shaker evening, everyone was shaking because of something), the Uchiha grabbed the brush out of Hiashi's hand and without reading a word, keeping his eyes set on the Hyūga's left his name at the bottom of the scroll.

Hyūga Hiashi was a man whose cold and insipid soul could be kissed by beauty. In fact, even if everything he did was calculated and deliberate, he did take pleasure in _shōga_ and was considered as the most creative leader the Hyūga Clan had had. His paintings were exposed here and there, and every general that had the honor of receiving one exhibited it with pride in his alcove.

And so, when he saw the Uchiha eyes slowly pass from onyx to red, he regretted greatly not having his elder daughter's talent for portraits. No wonder the whole world had been mesmerized by the _Sharingan_ during centuries. The same could not be said about the _Byakugan_.

"It is getting late", Sasuke bit out.

The arrogant, satisfied glance of the heiress aggravated him greatly. For a fourteen-year old brat, she had some balls. And he truly thanked the Lord that he wouldn't be stuck with one like her.

"Indeed, Uchiha-san. We will continue with this tomorrow."

Yeah, you know what? Sasuke would fucking take that B-ranked as _jōnin_. He detested switching between ANBU and _jōnin_ duty. But all the bureaucratic bullshit he would have to go through to get his _jōnin_ documentation updated would be worth it as long as he escaped the Hyūga for a few days.

"I am on mission for the next three days."

The Elder who had spoken, not the grandfather this time, shot him a dismissive glance. Yeah well, Sasuke didn't care about him either, thanks.

"How unfortunate. We know someone who will be greatly disappointed by your absence."

They were alluding to Hinata. Were they making fun of him or were they fucking serious?! Because honestly, he was quite sure she hadn't even heard a word he'd said. Geez, if that is how she expressed hysteria at the idea of being separated from her _fiancé_, Sasuke worried what she would be when calm.

Dead. Which she already was. What he meant was unbreathing dead. Biologically dead. Oh, whatever.

And he didn't mind. In fact, he preferred it like that. If he never came back, he was quite sure the youngest general of the lot, who was shooting carnivorous glances at her now and then, would snatch her away and they would massively reproduce and make some more Hyūga babies. And render Konoha a little more miserable than it already was. Good by him.

"Uchiha-s-san, permit me to s-see you to the g-gates."

How did you turn the volume off on that thing? Because he was about to punch her. She had to learn to speak up before they got married or else he would go crazy. Again. And Konoha would not like for him to go crazy again. At the pleased smiles of the Elders, Sasuke was quite sure it had not been her idea. Walking around in the dark with a man was certainly not Hyūga Hinata's style. But did they really have the choice?

"Tch."

And so, with much ceremony, Sasuke and Hinata were ushered towards the exit. A lacquered umbrella was pushed into the lady's hands; a _haori_ was lent to the gentleman. He had not fucking asked for one. And, as soon as Hinata had put on her _geta_, that made her tower over Sasuke to his great displeasure, they were off.

He held the umbrella above her head, trying at the same time to shield himself from the droplets that were falling all around them. The compound was dark since all the lanterns had been extinguished by rain. It amused him that a general had complained about the lack of electricity in the Uchiha-owned buildings Sasuke had leased them. Hyūga were still using fucking lanterns to light their streets.

Hinata did not go against her habit. She remained silent, walking at Sasuke's rhythm. The only communication subsisting between them were the breaths they were taking. The air was saturated by the Hyūga's delicate smell and the Uchiha felt like he knew that fragrance from somewhere. It was definitely not modern perfume; it had something traditional to it. Lavender, green tea, sandalwood, paulownia and incense. However, he had no idea where he had smelled it before.

When they got close to the gates and the _HISS_ shinobi that was standing by them greeted them, Sasuke made a movement to give Hinata the lacquered umbrella. But before he had the time to extend his hand, she had already taken a step back. Fast and precise. Like the heiress.

As the droplets hit her pale skin, Sasuke had the impression she was glowing in the darkness. Slowly raising her head, her eerie eyes met his. His had obviously returned to their original color and she did not freeze or startle when looking at him. He however was amazed at how clear the _Byakugan_ could seem in the darkness.

Even Hyūga Hinata's eyes could look alive. What a surprise. Not one he particularly liked. It was the evening of unwelcome surprises. He had the disagreeable impression there was something her eyes were trying to tell him but he could not read it. If only she fucking spoke, that would make things damn easier. He was not a godforsaken mind-reader.

"Goodbye, Uchiha-s-san."

And as she swiftly turned around, he had the ridiculous desire to grab onto her arm and bring her back to him. He wanted to know what it was she had to say. Or maybe, to his great mortification, he wanted to keep that pretty porcelain doll with him a little longer. No man was immune to the physical charms of a frigid Hyūga woman (he couldn't imagine Hinata otherwise but frigid). And she was his to do with as he pleased, no?

But she was already far away. She ran on her high _geta_, her hands grasping the hem of her orange _kimono_ and pulling it up to her knees. As her loose bun jumped up and down, Sasuke was left to admire the gleam of the milky skin on the nape of her neck in the darkness. A long, unruly strand of black hair pulled out and flew into the night.

Running away like a chased rabbit, Hyūga Hinata had never appeared more alive and real to Sasuke. It left him wondering whether it was too late to pull out of the deal. Stripping from the _haori_ and shoving it, with the lacquered umbrella, into the gatekeeper's hands, Sasuke as well disappeared into the night. The thoughts that accompanied him back to his bachelor flat were much darker than night itself.

**x.x.x**

A fever woke her up in the middle of the night. Since the sealing, she had gotten accustomed to so many changes in her body. She never remembered which part of her brain had been damaged by the stroke she had sustained; however she surely felt the side effects. Dry eyes, blurry sight, migraines, nausea. Tremors, obviously. However, the low-grade fevers that woke her up now and then were a thing she truly could not bear.

Shifting on her futon, she wondered whether any of the _HISS_ guards that patrolled the mansion were moving as well. The guards hated when people got restless in the middle of the night. Generations of intermarriage in the Hyūga Clan had given for a volatile race of consanguine people. Hyūga were perfect outside the compound, but once back between the four walls of their little piece of _heaven_, they became barely controllable.

Hardly six months had passed since a general's son had set himself on fire. It had been a shock to everyone that such a promising young man would go crazy. However, Hinata was not one to judge. She was not sane herself. Especially not in the middle of the night, when a low-grade fever sent shivers down her spine and cold sweat covered her body.

Her eyes wide-open stared at the ceiling. She was too hot. She kicked the cover of the futon off and let the cold air of the night hit her naked legs. Her _yukata_ had opened up during the night. Of course, she couldn't have a normal pyjama; she had to sleep in that bathrobe that cut her breath, opened up around her waist, slid off her shoulders, ran up her legs and was an overall pain in the ass.

Well, for all she cared, the _HISS_ could mow her down; she wouldn't remain lying like a corpse. She sat up and felt them shifting around her door. Hinata had been raised in a family where the concept of privacy did not exist.

You would have thought the fact that all the inhabitants of the house could see her if they invested a minimal amount of effort into it would make her less self-conscious. Yet the knowledge there were maybe five _Byakugan_-users in front of her apartment's doors made her pull down her _yukata_.

But she would not get bullied into lying back down. She was in her own godforsaken apartment; she had the right to do whatever she damn pleased. Oh, for God's sake, you couldn't even relieve yourself in the middle of the night in this place. The life with the Hyūga. Her life. Or at least, what her life would have been had she not had the chance to meet up with Kurenai.

Kurenai. How Hinata missed her. She had desired to see her, to be there for her former _sensei_ when she gave birth, to help her out. But there were things in the Hyūga Clan that were taboo, wishes for example. As soon as she had received her decorations, they had pulled her into the Clan, into oblivion. At least, she had enjoyed the sour face of the Elders when the Gōdaime had handed her, alongside many representatives of her cohort, the greatest Konoha distinction.

But of course, disobedience should never be rewarded. When she had come back to the compound, the first step that was taken was to downgrade her. And she didn't care. What she had cared for was that all the men that had followed her had not been downgraded alongside her.

There had been nothing more painful but the day they had forced her to sign a resignation letter that stipulated she was giving up on her duties as _kunoichi_. It had been a threat. Resign or all the Hyūga _shinobi_ that had followed your orders would be forced to resign.

However, after all, they had wanted to reinstate her as heiress. Why that had been of plan of theirs, Hinata did not know. The only thing she knew is that every decision that she took, disregarding her own comfort, had been the right decision.

She had done the right thing. Each and every time. Hinata had done the right things; she would not regret now.

She had done the right thing by getting sealed instead of her sister. Hanabi was strong, Hanabi was stubborn. She would be able keep the Elders in check. And it was worth the tremors, the migraines, the low-grade fevers. She had done the right thing by accepting to be given to the Uchiha. She would be finally free. It was something like _karma_ rewarding her for having taken the right decisions, right? _Right_?!

Just open your thighs, turn your head to the side and let him bury himself into a corpse. That was not difficult to pull off.

Tears threatened to spill. Her life in one word, _tears_. She was a real crybaby. Turning her head to the ceiling, she waited for the tears to dry before jumping to her feet. She needed a breather. Right about now. And of course, the _HISS_ shifted some more by her door.

Sure, she wasn't living in the fancy part of the mansion; she was not a _Sōke_ anymore. However, she was the heiress' sister and the leader's daughter. They preferred to keep away from her. They didn't need for Hiashi, who was known to rarely use the seal, to expressly roast them as he had done with her.

And so, she remained unharmed as she reached the _shōji_ giving to the garden. Hanabi had insisted for her to get an apartment by the garden. Hinata let a smile play on her lips.

Hanabi, spoiled, willful little thing. Hinata had been wrong to think she had changed much since age five. She was the same. A memory came back to her. Hinata had been six and seated on Kō's lap. Hanabi had been with her caretaker, a sweet lady. Her diapers had been hanging low on her chubby legs and she'd been dancing in that ridiculously cute way babies did. She was simply bending her knees and shaking that enormous diaper of hers.

A chuckle escaped Hinata. She had lost it. Oh, yes. She had gone crazy. But it didn't matter, as long as Uchiha Sasuke took her. Everyone would be happy, her included. Right?

Pushing the _shōji_ aside, a whiff of night air punched her in the face. She actually really felt like someone had punched her. But Hinata wanted to be frozen to the bone; therefore she appreciated the coldness of the night. Turning her eyes to the sky, she looked at the twinkling stars. They were so far away they were barely visible.

The cold breeze made the willow's branches dance into the night. It was a strange scene to behold.

And then she saw _him_. _He_ was marching towards the willow. It had been _his_ willow. Hinata's breath hitched in her throat. Just an illusion, she had to remember _he_ was nothing but an illusion, _he_ was not real. _He_ was nothing but an illusion. She couldn't even make _him_ out clearly.

Hinata, close your eyes, let the panic attack wash over you. But please, please, let her look at _his_ shadow for just another instant.

The illusion turned. For the first time, the illusion turned and then she saw _him_ clearly. It was really _him_. Oh, yes, it was _him_. The illusions never turned. For the first time, she could make out _his_ features perfectly. _His_ chiseled mouth pulled in an amused smirk, eyelids lowered over _his_ eyes in that arrogant fashion that was proper to _him_. The wind made _his_ long brown hair flutter around _his_ face.

_Neji_ had come back for her.

But he was walking way; he was disappearing through the branches of the weeping willow. No, he would not. He would not leave her again, she would not let him. Jumping down the terrace, Hinata let her naked feet carry her faster than lighting.

"Neji!"

Her desperate scream reverberated through the inner garden of the main family's mansion. The _HISS_ were on it, they were around her, everywhere, but she did not see them and they made no movement to stop her from reaching the tree. Long dark strands of hair whipped her face and blinded her to the point she jumped into the cold koi pond.

The water reached her thighs and the soaked fabric of her _yukata_ hindered her steps. Hinata did not feel the pain of freezing water on her calves, she did not see the mass of curious servants that had gathered on the veranda or the _HISS_ shinobi that slowly followed her, ready to cut her into pieces of she revealed to be a danger.

"Wait for me, do not leave me. Neji!"

Her voice was becoming hoarse; her _yukata_ was slipping from her shoulders and revealing too much skin. She did not care. As she walked out of the water, the branches of the weeping willow engulfed her. Where was he? She called his name over and over again; she called him to her desperately.

Tearing at the branches, getting entangled in them, tears streaked her beautiful features, red blotches appeared on her perfect skin. Neji. She wanted Neji. Hinata _needed_ Neji.

But Neji was not there. He had left her again and it is exhausted, abandoned and desperate, that she crashed into something hard. And it was not the tree's trunk.

Through her disorderly hair, she saw a humble, geometric pattern on some rough, pale fabric. A smell that she knew too well overcame her. It was the smell of crude, artisanal soap. A hand sneaked around her waist and before Hinata could do anything, she was being hoisted by a pair of strong arms. One arm around her waist, one under her knees.

She had no other choice but to lift her head and look at whom it was that was holding her. The hope of Neji's return did not falter an instant. It had been him. It could have been nobody but him. But the face she beheld, plain and rugged, was not Neji's. The smell that overwhelmed her, unsophisticated and common, was not Neji's. The eyes that looked down on her with pain, longing, anger, worry were not Neji's.

Kō. Always Kō. When everyone abandoned her, when everyone left her behind, Kō was there. And she hated him for it. She wanted Neji. The desire that held her heart in a vice was suffocating her. Her sobs became only more violent, her breath left her, she wheezed and coughed. A migraine was making her writhe in pain.

Hyūga Hinata had no idea how heavy a burden she could be to carry around. He had carried her around for sixteen years; he could tell her just how heavy she had been and still was. And he was not talking about weight.

Her voice whispering Uzumaki Naruto's name. Her screams of pain turned towards Neji. Even the cold pleasantries she served Uchiha Sasuke. All of that was so heavy to carry around. But he did. He, Hyūga Kō, the original prodigy of the Hyūga Clan, the sacrifice, he carried around each one of her heavy words. And the words she had ever spoken to him had been so light they had escaped before he could even catch them.

With Hinata-hime in his arms, under the astonished glances of servants that would most probably transform this into a searing porn scene, Hyūga Kō, the former _HISS_ general, walked from beneath the branches of the weeping willow. On the veranda, the only two people that mattered waited for them. Hyūga Hiashi, his features drawn in a menacing frown, and Hyūga Hanabi, seemingly calm, yet fidgeting with conflicted feelings.

But he did not pay them heed. Better to say he didn't give a fucking shit about them.

Walking by the pond, he was on the veranda in two strides and penetrated Hinata's alcove without even opening his mouth. And cue to the leader and his pet heiress following him. He honestly did not need those two when Hinata was grasping the collar of his _yukata_ and whispering Neji's name against his neck. The soft flutter of her lips on his naked shoulder felt like a snake's kiss.

How he detested Hyūga Neji. He had seen him for the first time when Neji had been seven and had detested him from that day on. Kō should have killed him. But you do not easily kill your ally. Someone else took care of that business, but not before the damage had been done.

"It would be disgraceful for you to stay."

Count on Hyūga Hiashi to care for convenience when his eldest daughter was combusting from fever and shaken by delusions. Fatherly love, you could call it. And Kō ignored the indirect order. For all he cared, Hyūga Hiashi could fuck himself in the ass with a _kunai_.

He thought Hinata's sealing had been clear enough as message. Kō was done playing the obedient part. The _revolution_ did not need him anymore, he had become a hindrance for _them_, he could permit himself to do whatever he damn well pleased until they decided to cut his lifeline short.

And so he did. Approaching Hinata's _futon_, he carefully kneeled and let her slip from his arms.

"I'll stay."

Hanabi's voice was unwavering and sounded more like an order than an affirmation. She had been sidelined for too long concerning her sister. Hinata and her had never been close, true. But she was not cruel (she generously left the psycho part to the Elders) enough to let her sick sister alone and it seemed that the only person competent enough to manage that meltdown was Kō.

She didn't like to admit it, because honestly, Hanabi hated his guts, but he was the only person that could be trusted with Hinata.

Hanabi remained in a corner as her father retreated towards the hall. There was no use arguing with the heiress of the Hyūga Clan. Hiashi had warned the Elders that their games concerning heirloom would do little good. And he had been right. As soon as Hinata's sealing had taken place, Hanabi had developed a sense of rebellion that might have been proper for a teenage girl, but certainly not for the heiress of the greatest clan of the country.

Being almost demoted to the rank of second daughter had made her eager to prove that she could govern. Even over her own father. She would go against the Elders as well in her immature wish to show her grandeur. And this is what it gave. Passing Hinata all her follies and fantasies would certainly not be beneficial for the image of the Clan.

However, as long as the Uchiha did not hear about it, there would be no repercussions. And it is certainly not the Hyūga that would give him unnecessary details about his _fiancée_.

And maybe, even if he did not want to admit, Hiashi did feel the burden of seeing his eldest daughter, his flesh and blood, suffer through so many trials. At some point in time, he had believed she would make a good leader. Now, however, there was nothing left of that shy yet firm and idealistic girl that had went to war to come back as a hero.

He could not redeem the Clan or himself, the only thing he could do for her was pass her a few follies and fantasies here and there, before she was given off to the Uchiha.

As the leader walked out, Kō busied himself around Hinata, grasping her hands in his, whispering soothing words to her, under the aghast glance of the heiress. Well, fuck him, maybe it was time for him to teach Hanabi a few things about her own sister.

"When she has a crisis, you should always keep her hands away from her face. At the end of the war, she had the habit of trying to scratch her eyes out."

A gasp. Well, little heiress, what did you expect? You thought the fact that you all of a sudden acquired a conscience and started feeling something else besides indifference towards your sister would magically make things alright? Fuck you, Hyūga Hanabi … sama.

"P-please, don't l-leave m-me … I w-would have l-loved you too. I am s-sorry. I was b-blind, p-please f-forgive me …"

Another gasp. Yeah, there was a lot to Hinata Hanabi had no idea about. Whom was she talking about ever so intimately? Kō? Even if Hanabi knew nothing about love, she could imagine that the grimace that plastered itself across the man's features was not one of joy. He had never seemed grimmer in fact.

Hanabi's heart beat in her throat as she waited for the words that left Hinata's lips.

"Neji … N-Neji …"

Neji. Their cousin Neji, Hinata's _Neji-nii-san_. Bringing her hand to her throat, Hanabi did her best to smother a croak. She was starting to feel faint. It could not be, Hinata could not have been the one that Neji had loved. Hanabi was a fourteen-year old girl that knew nothing about love. Her only sources of pleasure were her sparring sessions with their father. In fact, as any Hyūga worth his salt, she proclaimed great nihilist ideas that left little place for concepts such as affection to worm their way into her brain.

However, under all that attitude and arrogance, the heiress of the Hyūga Clan was nothing but a girl with her dreams, her expectations and her fantasies. Even if she would have never admitted it, she spent great amounts of time following that estranged elder sister with her eyes. Especially when Hyūga Kō was around.

And to a young mind such as Hanabi's, there was a lot of beauty in the way that man, that warrior (for Hanabi, who was still young, age had no true consequence as long as the man could raze a village for his beloved's sake, would bow his head to her sister, would offer her his arm when they walked. Would sacrifice his own rank, as low as it might have been, his own life, as unworthy it might have seemed, for the sake of the woman he loved. However, not once had she considered the idea that Hinata did not return his feelings. Was it not understood that a loved woman loved?

And Hinata did love. She loved Neji.

Hanabi was a fourteen-year old girl that knew nothing about love. However, about jealousy she knew much. She had been jealous from day one of her sister who had always been on her father's mind. What was Hinata doing, where was Hinata, would she come back alive from this or that mission? Whenever Hyūga Hiashi had trained with Hanabi, it is _Hinata_ Hanabi read in his eyes. Hanabi had wanted to earn his love with talent, Hinata had attracted his attention with mediocrity.

And now, at this moment, as Hinata raised from her futon, soaked and shivering, shaken by delusions and those aggravating tremors, Hanabi felt all that hatred she had thought had disappeared with Hinata's sealing resurface. Because this fourteen-year old girl that had never been touched with affection, let alone kissed, had felt Neji's hands on her when he closed her chakra wells as a caress.

She had mistaken for fondness each gleam in his eye when he lunged for her. She had kept each one of his words of praise engraved in her mind. She had suffered at his death. And she had felt possessiveness towards him.

Hanabi had never minded the way he had to spar preferentially with Hinata, he was a _Bunke_ after all and fighting too much with the heiress and prodigy of the Hyūga Clan would be to no one's honor. She had not paid any heed to the fact he closely watched Hinata wherever she went and followed her as a shadow whenever he could. She was a walking haphazard and the first person to be scolded if anything happened to clumsy Hinata would have been Neji (since Kō by the time had moved on to new responsibilities). Him training Hinata had been nothing but pity for her inferiority.

So had Hanabi thought, or so she had tried to convince herself. In fact, she had never been aware that all those conflicting feelings that made her feel shame at night, when she hid under the covers of her futon, could mean anything. And even now, as she slid against the wall of her sister's alcove, Hyūga Hanabi had no idea that Neji had been her first love. The only thing she could hear were Hinata's words, repeated over and over again.

'_I would have loved you too._'

Hyūga Neji had loved Hinata. And Hanabi wanted to reproach it to her. She wanted to throw it right at her sister's face. But, maybe because she did not know and most probably would never that she had loved Neji too, or maybe because she realized that there was no use speaking of it now that he was dead, she simply pushed back all those feelings, all that longing and despair and locked them in a dark box at the back of her mind.

Seated on the tatami of her sister's alcove, her back to the wall, her mind blank and her hands still pressed around her throat, Hanabi was left the sole spectator of the strange scene that took place in front of her eyes.

Hinata had sat up on her futon, a long, white leg bent by Kō's side and revealed by the lapels of her soaked _yukata_. Her long dark hair contrasted with the paleness of her skin. Maybe was it because of the lack of light in the room or because of the moon that shone through the _shōji_ that was yet to be slid back in place, but she looked very much like a ghost. However no ghost would have had the strength to grab so violently onto the collar of the man's _yukata_ and pull him towards her in such an intimate fashion.

How Kō must have suffered hearing her speak Neji's name with such passion.

The plain man and the beautiful woman were only inches apart and had Hanabi still thought the two were an item, she would have believed a kiss would follow. But the gleam that travelled Hinata's eye was suggesting something closer to rage and her face distorting into a grimace of anger suggested an impending tempest thunderstorm. Her voice remained soft and inaudible as she whispered her own reproaches to the man that was trying to calm her by pushing her bangs back and passing his thumb over her brows.

She was playing the role of the slighted woman without even realizing and Hanabi wondered how patient Hyūga Kō, whom she had always considered as the equivalent of an icepick, could be. Or how stupid.

Hinata had completely forgotten she was in the Hyūga compound, she was giving it her all, throwing convenience, tradition and honor through the window. And yet, here he was, cold and unfeeling, whispering sweet _nothings_ to a woman that demanded nothing more but a reason.

"Y-You want to get rid of m-me too. J-Just like _otō-s-san_ … You want to s-sell me off to the Uchiha. Y-You are just like _otō-san_ …"

He only smiled noncommittally to her, shooting a worried glance at Hanabi. They were not alone and he could not stoop down low and demand for Hinata to walk all over his miserable being. He had always done so and would keep on kissing the dust on which she walked. And God knew that seeing her so dishevelled, desperate and terrified made his heart break, as it had from the day Hōtaru had died and left her eldest in his care. By _default_.

But, he could not give in to his desires. He could not snake his arms around her shoulders and bring her to him. He could not throw her over his shoulder and try to run away with her as he had done after her sealing. Even the very fact that he was in her room at the moment would be seen the next morning, as the Elders heard about it, as a sign of insubordination. He would make a run for it; he would get them both killed if only …

If only he was thirteen years younger. Here she was, this nineteen-year old beauty whom he had practically raised alone, this woman that still did not understand she was no more a girl. And here he was, a thirty-two year old failure who had nothing to offer her. He had never been handsome. He had no status and no money. No youth.

He wasn't even moral. What man with fucking values would even think about a girl thirteen years younger?! All the way until she turned twelve, he had known the very exact number of panties she had!

"Oh, y-yes. Y-You all want to g-give me off to the Uchiha. G-Go, Hinata, open your l-legs wide. Bring honor y-your f-family b-by bearing Uchiha offspring, s-since you are good for nothing else."

He did his best to overlook her vulgarity. It was a very uncommon thing to hear coming from Hinata, and he preferred to do as if she hadn't said anything. Hanabi had been startled as well, he could see. Well, geez, give the girl a break, who wouldn't be spluttering obscenities after such a night.

"Now, Hinata-sama. You are being unfair. You are very much loved by all in the Clan. It is truly for your best that we wish to see you off happy with Uchiha-san."

And then it happened. For the first time in sixteen years, Hyūga Hinata, the forsaken heiress of the Hyūga Clan, raised her hand on her caretaker and _kagemushi_. On her beloved Kō. The slap seemed to resound throughout the whole compound since all of a sudden complete stillness seemed to prevail throughout the mansion. Who would have thought there was something more silent than silence?

Hanabi forgot to breathe. Kō remained with his face turned to the side. Hinata was the one to break the silence.

"Don't _you_ d-dare. Don't _you_, of all p-people, d-dare lie to me."

Tears gushed through her eyes; her chest heaved revealing more of her cleavage with each breath she took. Raising the hand she had slapped Kō with, she aggressively rubbed her left eye, trying to hide her tears that were already dripping from her chin. She looked so alone. She felt so alone. And he could not withhold anymore.

Forgetting once more about Hyūga Hanabi's presence, spitting on tradition for the third of the evening, Hyūga Kō did something that was sure to get the whole Clan in an uproar tomorrow and make the nosy servants of the main house scream in disappointed triumph. He reached for Hinata's trembling body and pulled her onto his lab under the vacant stare of the heiress.

As Hinata buried her face into his shoulder, he pressed her harder against him than he had ever. They were cast off, he knew. She would go off to marry the Uchiha, he would, in fact, be the first to demand it from her. He would go off and die a little bit every day until he was no more. But here, in her alcove, surrounded by hundreds, no thousands of prying _Byakugan_, they would free for these few seconds. He pressed her harder against him, damning their name and clan.

"My lady, there is not one person that would want more for you to stay …"

That sounded wrong. It was not what he wanted to say. _There is no one that loves you more than I do_. That is what he should have said. However, he would never, he knew, have the courage to say the truth. The thirty-two year old man that dared force his feelings upon a nineteen-year old woman was not worth living.

Funny thing was that Hinata did not read well between the lines, but Hanabi did. Hanabi was dense and lacked all the intellectual qualities that were expected from a future leader. And yet, she was the one that heard the man's unsaid words, that felt his pain and longing. How could Hinata be so dim? How many men, Hanabi wondered at that instant, had she led astray and left behind, running after that one that had never wanted her?

Kō's thoughts were of a completely different order. He looked at that woman that so easily abandoned herself to grief and wondered how she would be able to cope outside of the compound. Uchiha Sasuke was an absent man, a man with many responsibilities that would not disturb her much. A night here and there, nothing too difficult to bear (who was Kō fucking kidding?!). If he had any respect for the name of his ancestors, he would make Hinata's life as easy and comfortable as could be imagined.

She would have all the time of the world to paint and write, to design _kimono_ and dance. Hinata loved to dance. It was in her blood. As it had been in Hōtaru's (it most probably was in the blood of all Hyūga, but they were too stupid to realize it).

Maybe would she even be allowed to take classes, who knew. Uchiha Sasuke appeared more lenient when it came to preconceived norms and rules than the Hyūga. She was in a good shape; she had rebounded well from her sealing and was back to the form of a few years ago. It was a shame she could not serve anymore, he might have even let her go on missions.

Kō did his best to convince him, as he held her body tight against his chest, that Uchiha Sasuke was the only choice she had. They had. And yet, as her spine shook under his hand, as her nails convulsively into the flesh of his back through his _yukata_, he worried that there was no choice at all for Hyūga Hinata. It was too late for her to ever find happiness. She was broken beyond repair.

"L-Let's go away together. L-Let's r-run away to Ono or S-Suna. Alone. L-Live alone, like when I was s-small."

She was delusional. Or maybe not. Ono and Suna could be a rope and a branch. Hanabi thought about the same thing as she shivered in her corner. And the fucked up thing was … he considered it.

Hyūga Kō had made many mistakes concerning Hinata. When she had been a child, he had never had the courage to truly stand up for her and demand from Hiashi to treat her with the respect she deserved. When Neji had went for the kill and tried to destroy her in front of his very eyes, Kō, as the good dog he had been, had not even budged a muscle.

When Neji had pressed his lips to hers, two years ago, while Kō had been cared for under a fucking tent, he had not said a thing by fear of damaging her reputation. Because he knew the Clan well enough. Hinata would have been accused of having led Neji, the _Bunke_, astray with her ways. Like grandmother, like granddaughter. Like mother, like daughter. So the Clan would have said.

And the most fatal of all his mistakes, he had desperately tried to save her after the sealing, going against the Clan, her own wishes and all logic. And maybe was he making a mistake by dreadfully pushing her towards the Uchiha. But what other choice was there? Ono and Suna? He had been unable to reach the gates as the cock-sucking _HISS_ general; he wondered what would happen now that his _Byakugan_ played dead every other time he tried to activate it. Ono and Suna could only be code for branch and rope. And he considered it.

What was worse? The Uchiha's cold eyes as he analyzed Hinata from head to toe every time she appeared in front of him or death? Was there truly no chance she would finally find peace, if not happiness? No hope that she could have her own life, maybe her own children? Humans hoped and because of their hope they suffered.

Kō was quite sure that she would only face new pain, but … It was the _but_ that killed him. He could not let her kill herself without giving it a shot at least.

There would be no Ono and Suna for them. He would do everything he could to force her to marry Uchiha Sasuke, damned be his unlawful feelings for her. And damned be her own wishes.

Hinata sensed her. As soon as she heard her footsteps in the hallway, she knew what would happen. _NO_.

Thrashing against Kō's hold, she tried to push his chest away. She would not let them do _that_ to her.

"No!"

Her sister's unexpected shriek made Hanabi jump in her corner. Activating her _Byakugan_ by habit, she scanned the surrounding. _HISS_ patrols, nosy servants and an old granny that was entering Hinata's apartments and walking through the main room and entering the alcove.

Who the hell was that woman?! Hanabi did not remember having ever met her. But by the way Hinata was screaming and trying to extirpate herself from Kō's hold, she was quite sure she did not like that overly smiling granny. And what was that small wooden bottle she was holding?!

"Kō-san, long time no see. The little lady is fussing again, isn't she? Tsk, tsk. Such an excitable little thing she is."

"Misato-san."

Well, he didn't seem to be overly happy to see her either.

"No, p-please, don't do that to me. I b-beg of you … K-Kō. I w-will be g-good I promise. I am already b-better. P-Please, d-don't."

Ok. Woah. What the fuck were they planning on doing to her sister?! Standing up, Hanabi was about to scream a few orders at them but one stern look from the _Bunke_ man was enough to shut her up. Firmly, the man pushed Hinata down onto the futon, keeping her arms pressed behind her head.

She flawed her legs though; trying as well as she could to kick him or the granny away. It was not in Hinata's nature to be vindictive or violent. The only explanation Hanabi could find to her behavior was that whoever that granny was, she was dangerous.

With a voice she would have preferred to be less high-pitched, Hanabi almost screamed to the old woman's face.

"What are you going to do to _onē-san_?!"

The granny only shot Hanabi that infuriating smile and clicked her tongue in amusement.

"Nothing, nothing. Don't you worry, Hanabi-sama. We are going to calm her a little bit with this."

At those words, she shook the little wooden bottle in front of her wrinkled nose.

"Hanabi-sama, come and hold Hinata-hime's legs."

That sounded more like an order than a polite demand from a subordinate to his master. And Hanabi obviously didn't like it.

"No! P-Please … n-no."

Hanabi had never seen a pig being killed; however she was quite sure that it must have made the same type of noises as her sister. Tentatively approaching and taking place in front of Hinata's legs, grabbed them and did her best to keep from having her chin kicked in.

"What is there in that bottle?"

"Laudanum."

What the fuck was laudanum?! As if reading her thoughts, Kō simply stated that it was a type of tranquilizer. That was good, right?! Tranquil would be a good state for Hinata at the moment. But why the hell was she screaming the compound down?!

As the old woman grabbed onto Hinata's face, the screams subsided. In fact, Hinata wasn't planning on opening her mouth any time soon. There was no way, she would … A chakra shock passed right through the muscles around her jaw, and before she could do anything against it, her mouth automatically snapped open.

"Now, now, Hinata-sama. We have been there, already. It won't be so bad."

Before Hinata had had the time to bite onto the woman fingers, the granny sipped the content of the bottle passed her lips, grabbed onto her nose and pushed her fingers between her teeth as to keep her mouth open until the liquid reached her throat. She had had Hinata-sama spitting the laudanum right back at her and had learned her lesson. The little lady, always so shy and sweet, could be feisty when annoyed.

And fair enough, a few minutes later, Hanabi and Kō felt Hinata's resistance falter and permitted themselves to let go of her arms and legs. The old lady, snivelling because she was getting too old for this, did her best to stand up and to complain some more about Hinata being ever so naughty.

Hanabi did not pay much attention to the old woman and Kō chatting it up. And truth being said, Kō only exchanged pleasantries while keeping all his attention on Hinata. He regretted so much.

To Hanabi's horror, Hinata's eyes looked glazed, all light gone from them. She desperately tried to battle the effect of the tranquilizer, softly lulling her legs from one side to the other, trying to bend them. For a split of a second, her back shot off from the futon, but she didn't have the strength to raise her head and fell right back onto the now wet futon.

"She will fall asleep soon, don't you worry, Hanabi-sama. She is being a naughty child, is all. Do you hear, Hinata-sama, you are being naughty and worry your father and sister very much. Go to sleep now, like a good girl."

A shiver, not the first but hopefully the last of the evening, travelled through Hanabi's spine. The fact that Neji and Hinata had had an idyll was already forgotten. How could Hanabi keep a grudge when her sister's eye shot desperate pleas at her before being drowned by the tranquilizer?! Bile accumulated in Hanabi's mouth. Had Hinata not demanded to be sealed, this is what would have happened to Hanabi, right?

"Why doesn't she like to take the tranquilizer?"

_Not like_ was an understatement. Hinata had been utterly terrified by the idea of it.

The old woman opened her mouth to answer, but Kō beat her to it and with his cold, annoyed voice, answered Hanabi.

"She says she has nightmares."

"Nonsense" the granny hurried to add, "I have yet to see anyone that dreams when on opium. She is just a fussy little thing."

Wait a second, old hag; are you implying she is lying?! And what the fuck, opium?! Hanabi had no idea what laudanum was, but she sure as hell knew what opium was and there had been no question of making an opium addict out of her sister! And again, as she prepared to let her rage flare about, she was interrupted. This time by the old lady that started shooing them out of Hinata's apartments.

"Now, off you go, the two of you. The little lady is all messy and wet, I'll need to change her and get her some new futon, this one is ruined. Go sleep, the both of you. An honor to see you Hanabi-sama and always a pleasure to talk to you, Kō-san."

And Hanabi didn't even have the time give a few orders of her own. She had almost been kicked out of her sister's room. As she walked out with Kō, she did her best to gather her wits about her.

"What does she dream about? Hinata, I mean."

Turning his head to look down on her, his arrogant, dismissive glance brushing over Hanabi as it always had, he did not even go to the trouble of trying to conceal his dislike for the heiress. And you know what? Right back at him. The only thing there ever would be between a Hyūga Kō and a Hyūga Hanabi would be Hinata.

"The war."

As a fourth shiver ran up her spine, Hanabi considered going back to her sister's room and demanding for the granny to hand over some of that opium.


	3. The Veiled Schemers

**[A/N] **

**People. PEOPLE! Did you see the new designs for Shino and Kiba?! GO AND LOOK AT THEM NOW, FUCK TFH! I can't believe it. Kishimoto, you son of a bitch, you killed all my favorites, you made me suffer and I know you are going to screw me over with the finale. But, I am willing to forgive you just because of Shino and Kiba. I FUCKING KNEW THEY WERE THE REAL MALES OF THE SERIES!**

**Besides that. Chapter 3 of TFH. **

**First part, political smut. Second part, political mindfuck. Third part, half-assed almost smut. I am introducing what I call the revolution a little bit. Enjoy yourselves, my loves.**

**Chapter 4 of TFH will be called "The Queen of Hearts and the King of Spades" and will be the beginning of the SasuHina, our power couple is going to finally get married. Wedding night in perspective. **

**All my love, cookies, cream puffs, whatever you guys want to the amazing reviewers that electroshock my brain and make me write more more more: Shinsomaru, Aya, Lucyole, Guest, ChifSantos, audacious, lookingforEmile, luvhinata, kawaii-sama, Kibachow, michelita, Yudoku Kabe-no-Hana and Lila-me.**

**To guest who was worried about the quality of the fic, BetaReaders are hard to come by and English isn't my mothertongue, I am sorry for the effect it has on my fic.**

**Followers and favoriters, are you guys for real?! 20 favorites and 36 follows. I feel like someone just hit me with a truck of love and left me to bleed out on the side of the road. All that blood gave chapter 3. **

**And finally, people, go read "****Mirrored Illusions****", by ****Yudoku Kabe-no-Hana****. Why? Well, because I copy most of her stuff and steal her ideas all the time :P **

**...**

**The Forsaken Heirs**

_Chapter 3_

The Veiled Schemers

_By_

_Voyna_

He hated her.

A chuckle rumbled through her throat as his teeth sank into the flesh of her shoulder. He sometimes wondered whether she could read his thoughts. She had this way of doing the most aggravating things whenever he was in a bad mood. And enjoying herself greatly at his expense.

Stepping aside for a split of an instant, his eyes met hers.

Always so focused, always so domineering. At least, she appeared so whenever he was about to tear her clothes off. She had had him fooled for a long period of time, but her soft smiles and the way her eyes would shyly break contact with his had eventually been replaced by something cold and almost full of rage.

He hated her. She hated him just as much.

The way she licked her lips was as clear a message as could be. She wanted a piece of him, and it had nothing to do with the sex they were going to have. The fuck. It wasn't sex, at least not for her.

A carnivorous smile etched on her lips, she was a temptation he knew he should have steered clear of. But he simply couldn't. When it came to her, he was like a fly attracted to light. And fuck him; he knew he would get roasted eventually. And couldn't care less.

He was fully aroused, more than ready for her. And she was more than willing to take him. Her hand, without preamble, without softness, reached for his crotch and her caress got him to curse.

Before he had started doing her, his sex-life had been under control. He fucked. He never got fucked. However, from the first time she had pulled down the zipper of his pants with her teeth, he had become her thing.

Her chew-toy.

Bucking into her hand, he could barely contain himself. Foreplay. He needed to concentrate on some foreplay unless he wanted it to end up in rape. And sometimes, he wondered whether it wasn't what she wanted. This chick was not coming to him to simply get pounded; she was coming to punish herself. He had tried to be soft; he had tried to be affectionate. He was a goddamn pussy for having thought that … For having thought nothing at all.

He bent his head and crushed his lips to hers as her hand worked him through the material of his pants. A gasp on her part cleared the way for his tongue to enter and to dominate the shit out of her. Or at least to try. Their teeth clashed, she growled. She wasn't a woman. She was an animal. That much he knew.

She would feel no qualm to go on all four, to arch her back, to shake her thick, dark hair about. She was the lover every man fantasized about. She gave in like a whore and screamed like a beast. The pleasure thing every man craved for. Besides him. He _didn't_ desire a pleasure thing.

Before he had the time to realize what was happening, a cold hand had pushed his pants down and made its way towards its goal. As her hand grabbed him, he felt a shiver travel down his spine.

He didn't want to feel pleasure. He wanted to hate the touch, to push her away and humiliate her by doing so. And yet he couldn't refrain from thrusting into her hand. Lucky him, he was already aroused.

There was nothing that scared him more than seeing how easily she could, with that horrible smile and a few flicks of the tongue, bring a limp member to life. More than once had she aroused him without him wanting it. But not tonight. No, tonight he would take control of the situation.

Whom was he fucking kidding?!

Violently, without caring much whether she would get hurt, he pushed her lithe form towards the big wooden table. As her back hit the wood, she let a small moan of displeasure escape and her provocative smile slipped for a split of an instant.

Oh, yes. Her mouth and hands could turn him on, but there was nothing better for him than seeing her lose control of the situation, even if it lasted only a fraction of a second. And before she could get her hands back on him, he reached for her waist and slipped under her simple black shirt. Before she had to adjust to the feeling of his calloused hands on her burning flesh, the fabric was being pulled over her head and tossed aside.

He was a nancy, honestly. Here was this girl that came for her daily dick and nothing more, and he was worried he would destroy her clothes (even if he had wanted to tear them off barely a second ago) because she would have to walk back in the cold. Sometimes he wondered whether he should not just put on a fucking dress and some heels and be the one to get pounded.

She felt a rough lifting pressure, her feet came up off the ground and she was being laid out flat. His palms moved to the pale, cotton bra that was covering her full breasts. He was so blinded with desire that he didn't even realise what type of shit she was wearing.

She knew that the day he would make a comment about her less-than-arousing underwear, she would lose a big part of her influence over him. A guy that didn't notice the shit you wore was a man who could be controlled through his cock. And she didn't want it any other way.

He was not soft as he reached for her right breast and squeezed hard. And he was not soft as his tongue explored her mouth. She didn't want him soft. She preferred him to be a piece of shit to her. That way she wouldn't get attached and lose her focus. And yet, she hated him for giving in to her desires. For not showing he wanted more. Contradictory much?

As rage swept over her, she bit hard onto his lower lip. Blood was starting to seep out and to color her white teeth. He had not expected it and as pain shot through his lip, he pulled back, almost losing a chunk of flesh to her. She licked her own lips, tasting his blood.

Her eyes told him just how pissed she was and he had no idea why. He had been doing everything she had always fucking wanted. Honestly, she was going to make him hate women. And that was enough of a reason for him to grab onto her pants, zip them down, push her down roughly and pull them off.

One instant she had had pants on, the other she was almost naked. Her wet panties didn't do much of their job of covering her at the moment. He had some great moves, and she wasn't thinking about what the guy could do with his hands and tongue. She hadn't expected less of him. He was after all the greatest _shinobi_ of all times, wasn't he?

A pull on her hips, and she felt herself slide over the documents on the table. Administrative shit that would smell of sex, not that anyone in the office at the moment cared. Her hips were right on the edge of the table and she expected for him to tear off the panties and drive into her. However, he had other plans.

As he sank to his knees, she shot off from the table.

"N-No."

Gosh, she sounded breathless. And desperate. She hated the sound of her voice in the night. And she sure as hell hated what he was about to do to her. Trying to close her legs, she simply got him to become more demanding and slightly more violent. His fingers dug into the flesh of her thighs and he opened her legs wide in one movement. Had he pulled just slightly harder, he would have sprained her hips.

As he looked up at her from between her thighs, she knew she was in for it. He wanted to play that game again. He hated it when she dominated the shit out of him; he felt like a pussy and therefore had to take it out on her own pussy to prove the world (or her) that he wasn't some fag. Men and their eggshell egos.

And guess what, she hated to be dominated in such a way herself. But there was not much she could do as he ducked his head and went exactly where she didn't want him to. Went in for the kill. Putting his mouth on her sex and sucking through the fabric of her panties, he knew she had lost the battle. So did she. Game over.

But who knew her knew she never lost the war. _Never_.

A rush of heat washed over her as his expert tongue teased her most sensitive skin through her panties. She growled, damning her lack of self-control. Her hand snapped down and scratched the old mahogany of the table, sending some documents flying here and there.

She wasn't the only one enjoying herself. He nuzzled her through the fabric of the underwear, growling himself. Running his tongue over the fragile strip of cotton covering her, he left aggressive read marks on the flesh of her thighs as his fingers dug in further. He took his sweet time to torture her, to show her who truly led the show. And she loved it. As much as she hated it. She was being ravaged by that goddamn tongue of his.

As he worked his magic, he kept his attention focused on the movement of her breasts, informing him about how erratic her breathing was. Seems he was doing something right because she wasn't able to regain her breath. Abruptly, one of his hands left her thigh and caressed its way up the creamy skin of her stomach until it reached the underside of her left breast.

He could finally be tender to her. Now that she was writhing on his working table, her challenging attitude lost to all the pleasure he was giving her, he could relax and enjoy himself a little bit as well. There was no pleasure greater then when she submitted to his ministrations.

Sliding over her breast, his hand grabbed onto the bra and pulled its cups down, before softly grazing over her hardening nipples. Her heart was beating frenetically under his touch. He had wanted that heart. But she was one that did not care about such things. She was only there for the fuck, is all.

She was so overwhelmed with all these sensations that she did not sense him preparing his teeth for the attack. However, when she did feel them grabbing onto the fabric of her panties and tearing them apart, she arched and let a scream of ecstasy reverberate on the walls of his office. There was something to be said about men with good teeth.

She had no time to steady her breathing; his tongue was already attacking the core of her. It dragged up, parting her, sliding against her flesh. Kissing, sucking. She was close and it would be an explosion when she came, she knew. It always was with him.

"Come for me.", he whispered against her.

And it was all it took. For fuck's sake, she couldn't believe she was obeying him like a good lapdog. She would have kept it in; she would have faked coldness if she could have. But if there was one thing a woman could not do was contain an orgasm brought to her by that tongue.

His tongue went back to her flesh one last time and she came, letting a strident scream escape her, arching her back and opening her eyes wide. Oh, how she hated him. She hated him. She hated him. She hated him.

She loved him. Even if she shouldn't. He was nothing but a mission. He had _become_ nothing but a mission. And yet … it was the orgasm talking. Shut up, girl.

Rising up and looming above her, he bent her now limp knees to his chest, almost having an orgasm himself at the sight of her. There was no ditching his pants, his cock had been freed by her a while ago and he knew he wouldn't last long; he was almost shooting his load all over just looking at her. No time to lose.

Arching his spine, he brought them together, pushing himself inside of her. There was no sight more exciting than looking at her part to accommodate him. She was a perfect fit, as if made for him.

Sometimes, when he was truly delusional as he was that night, he believed that he had been her only lover, that she had not found some other poor guy to harass before upgrading to him. He was such a fucking idiot.

As he went in deeper, she moaned and turned her head from one side to the other, her mind hazy and her body having given up the fight a long while ago. Her lips were still red from his blood, he noticed. She wanted for him to leave something behind in her, didn't she? He would oblige.

His eyes shot to hers as he started moving in and out. They had always been what had psyched him the most, her eyes. Whenever passion overwhelmed him, he needed to find something solid to hold onto. The eyes of his lovers were as good as it got for him to keep his sanity. But her eyes were different. He had looked for their pupil during months and yet had never found it.

Her pupil-less eyes were bottomless pits that pulled him in and made him forget everything about the outside world. Whenever his eyes met hers and held them, he had the impression he would never be able to turn his head away again. She possessed him more when he lost himself in her cold, challenging glance than when he lost himself in her body.

He wanted to go slow, to make her beg, to torture her, but the sex had a momentum of its own. And before long, the table was squeaking under the force of his thrusts and she was screaming the place down. He was quite sure that all the ANBU on a one-kilometer radius could hear her.

But it was a known fact that he entertained ladies, or at least, that one lady in his office. And not one ANBU would dare say a word about it. They knew the two of them were too important to be messed with.

He had to grip her hips to hold her where he wanted her. And she had to use all her strength to prop herself on her elbows and shoot him a provocative smile between two sharp thrusts and her wanton moans.

"I want to see your _Sharingan_; you know it turns me on …"

She was being mocking and he hated her for it. Could she not enjoy the moment and let him give her another orgasm so that he felt like the man of the situation? Nah, count on her to be a bitch about something. She _hated_ the _Sharingan_. Like virtually everything about him.

As punishment, he only picked up pace and she threw her head back, unable to contain any of her screams. As much as she would have wanted to. And not even trying anymore. His sharp thrusts were going to take her over the edge. And so they did. He felt her go rigid under him and he came as well, clamping down on his molar. Desperately trying not to make noise. Fuck that, he could not refrain from growling one last time.

With his body jerking into hers and him making a mess out of the situation, he felt drained and strangely filthy. When would he get over fucking her and just concentrate all that energy into something more productive? As he met her eyes again and slipped into their murky depths, still looking for those pupils he knew he would not find, he was aware the answer was not one he should dwell on. It wasn't a satisfying answer, at least not for him. She held his balls in an iron grip.

And then silence settled in. No, it bitch-slapped them. Sure she was still wheezing, sure he was still huffing, but as he slid out of her, he realized how silent they were. They never spoke when they didn't fuck like beasts. She kept her mouth shut and her eyes hard. He turned his head away and didn't condescend to tell her something. Not even goodbye when she left. Maybe they needed a change of routine?

Her legs fell over the edge of the table as he released her hips. He stumbled back and parked his ass on his office chair. She mustered all the energy left in her, propped herself on her elbows, did her best to sit up on the table before trying to test whether her feet could sustain her weight. He looked at her rigid movements. That was a well-serviced woman. But as she stood up on wobbly legs, he didn't have the courage to meet her glance.

He didn't want to look at her vacant eyes. Any guy was good enough for her. At least that was the vibe she gave off. Ok, her feet could hold her weight and maybe she would make it towards her pants without liquefying into a pool of shit on the floor. And so she did. As he rubbed his face, she swayed towards the left, bent over, giving him a good view of what had sheathed him only a few instants ago.

She had good equilibrium, that was for sure. She didn't jump on one foot as she slipped her legs into her pants; she simply stood there, pulling the fabric up her hips. If there was one thing she fucking hated was when she went commando. Try having canvas pants rubbing on your clit after a rabid fuck. But he had been overzealous. She shot an irritated glance at the remains of her panties that lay at his feet.

"You never ask me to take you to my place."

She did not want to talk about such things. She preferred for them to remain silent after they were done.

"I respect your privacy."

He was going to get pissed. But he wasn't the type to scream or to throw shit at her. Nah, he was the type to smile. To smile widely like a psychopath. He was known for that. The more aggressive he felt, the more he smiled. No, he hadn't smiled during the war, that much she remembered. She shouldn't be thinking about the war. She would end up as a heap of mucus and tears and he would be left to comfort her. She was quite sure he would have loved that, the asshole.

"You never ask me to take you out."

Why did he have to make it so hard on her? He reminded her of all the things she would have wanted and would never get. Because he wasn't free. He didn't know it himself, but his memories still plagued him. Whenever he fucked her, whenever he kissed her, it was always another she saw reflected in his eyes.

"I am not a party girl and I don't like restaurants."

She headed towards the other side of the room where her shirt had been thrown in the mist of their passionate encounter. Pulling her bra up, she wiggled it around a little as he hid his face in his palms. He felt he was going to go berserk. Her voice was so emotionless, distorted even. This was such a loss of time. That girl was such a loss of time. She made his balls shrivel when he wasn't fucking her.

"You never ask me to make it official."

She was already heading towards the door of his office, leaving him behind. He felt used and abused. Not a good feeling for a _shinobi _that had completed more S-ranked missions than there were Hyūga in the village. Urgh, Hyūga. They were making his everyday life a living hell. This certainly wasn't the moment to think about that bunch of megalomaniac dictators. But once they got into your head, it was difficult to get them out.

She passed her thick, dark hair through an elastic band, turned on her hips and shot him the saddest glance he had ever seen. He wanted to materialize in front of her, to pull her body to his chest and press her against him hard. He wanted to set the past aside and try to start anew. With her.

"There is nothing to make official."

'_I am not the girl you want. And never will be._'

She was too proud to add that last part. She wouldn't stoop that low. Ever. She wouldn't be her mother's daughter if she did. And she wouldn't be her father's daughter either. Her _real_ father's daughter. She honestly had a fucking father complex and she hoped she wasn't trying to cure it with Kakashi. Her _otō-san_ had also had that bad habit of always smiling wide when he was the most livid. He had smiled a lot at her mother.

Opening the door, she slid into the darkness, leaving Kakashi behind. He didn't need any help to pick up all the documents. And she wouldn't have offered either. Running down the stairs of the Hōkage tower, she felt ANBU shifting on their heels all around her. No, in fact, she smelled them. She hadn't been called _Hana_ for nothing. There was no one with a better nose in the Inuzuka Clan.

She had learned to remain relaxed from a very young age, when in fact a normal person would have given in to guilt. There was nothing more dangerous than the feeling of guilt. It got you killed. Or at least it got you discovered. She had nothing to reproach herself though. Inuzuka Hana was doing it for … the good of all.

She fluttered about like a chick that had been happily fucked. Looked less suspicious that way. But she didn't worry much about the ANBU. None of them had the guts to shove their big noses into Kakashi's business. He was their _būchō_, wasn't he? The sun of their solar system. Their God. Their master. As long as Hana stuck to him, she was safe. No one would ask too many questions. After all, Kakashi-_būchō_ was too much of a genius to get duped by some Inuzuka mednin that happened to try her luck at politics, right?

Jumping down the last two stairs, she disappeared into the cold night. Seasons were playing mindfucks on Konoha these days. It wasn't winter, it wasn't spring. It was slush-time.

She hated the feel of the air on her face. It would make her numb all over by the time she reached the Inuzuka compound. Sure she could dematerialize and be there in thirty seconds, but she wanted to run. She wanted to burn her last reserves of energy and to crash onto her futon like a dead mass.

When she found herself ten minutes away from the compound, she smelled him. Hana sighed. Oh, for fuck's sake. Not him. She didn't need any of his shit.

"You smell like him."

Yeah, guess what, she knew that much. He grabbed onto her arm and turned her to face him. He was dressed in his impersonal white robe, covered in faint leaf patterns. He had just come back from a mission. Her luck. Her eyes met his slanted ones. God he had become big. Yesterday he was nothing but a baby and now he was a grown pain in the ass. Time passed by so fast.

"You fucked him like a whore again."

Kiba honestly had to get over his sister complex. It had been cute when he had been five. It was less cute now that he was almost twenty. She felt like someone had put a collar around her neck and was pulling on a leash. Inuzuka Hana, like every Inuzuka female, didn't like being leashed up.

Her right hand disappeared under her shirt and she retrieved something she had taken pains to hide during her little stint with Kakashi. It was a long, small metallic device. Something like a black stick. A spy cam.

Throwing it up, she looked at Kiba grab the camera in midair. His eyes glistened in the night. She didn't like the mask that was turned to the side of his head. Hana hated what he was doing on an everyday basis as much as he hated what she did.

Their eyes met again. She had to raise her chin at him and looked more challenging than she really felt. His glare softened though. Kiba did not like many people. He liked his old _sensei_ and her kid. He liked Shino, even if he would never admit it. He loved his mother. And Hana. He had loved Akamaru too before … And he loved someone else. But that was another story.

The grip on her arm loosened and she brought her hand to his unshaved cheek. He was her baby brother. He _was_ her _brother_.

"I did my job. Now, you do yours."

Because it was nothing but a mission. They both knew that much.

Inuzuka Hana was a schemer. And you did better not to turn your back on her.

**x.x.x.**

The Elder brought the cup of tea to his lips. There was nothing more satisfying than the taste of hot, high-standard tea. He had not drunk _sake_ for many years now. That pleasure was left to the younger generations. Since he disliked inebriated idiots a great deal, he was not planning to make one out of himself, especially at this respectable age of his.

Maybe was it why he tolerated the Uchiha better than many other young men of his generation. He had character, he did not give in to pressure and never drank more than what he deemed necessary. To the Uchiha, it was nothing but a way to honor his hosts. And dipping his lips into a cup had been judged more than sufficient.

Sasuke had learned fast enough that one of their strategies was to haze his mind with alcohol. Since _they_ bore it much better than the average human being, their minds remained sharp while his went to hell. Bunch of alcoholics.

Besides tea, there was another thing that venerable grandfather loved. He loved to look at rage in the eyes of a warrior. The knowledge that he still had that capacity of making a young man grind his teeth had a way to reconcile him with his age and rheumatisms. And that pure hatred reflected in Sasuke's eyes as Hiashi exposed their plan was the most satisfying sight the Elder had been given to see for a few decades.

This Uchiha was a wild horse the Hyūga would have the pleasure to tame. And Sasuke very much felt like kicking someone with a pair of hooves at the moment. They must have been _fucking_ kidding him. He just expected for the heiress – what was her name again (great way to kick-start married life, forget your sister-in-law's name) to jump from behind the _shōji_ and tell him they were fooling around.

Yeah, right. Very Hyūga, to pull a stint like that. This … Did he forget to read the small print on that contract he signed?! That must have been a hell of a contract drafted by the Devil himself. The Devil being the Hyūga Clan. Hiashi, the Elders, the heiress, fucking Hinata. They should all grow horns. After all, _Hamura_, their lovely ancestor, had had some! To believe that Hyūga and Uchiha came from the same source made his stomach churn now more than ever.

"No."

That had become his favorite word in the last five months. Hinata and him were about to get married. And the Hyūga had obviously kept _that_ last bit of information for the finale. Sasuke wondered why Hiashi, the Elders, the heiress, heck even that servant Kō, hadn't waited to jump into his room in the middle of the wedding night to inform him about _it_. They were way too eager for his liking.

The Elder smiled as if he had read his thoughts and that sent a shiver down Sasuke's spine. He should have known that a little meeting two on one with that particular Elder and Hiashi had nothing to do with teaching him how to treat Hinata before they drove into the sunset.

Nah, the Hyūga had to pull one last mindfuck after they almost absorbed thirty percent of the Uchiha compound (or the outskirts of the Uchiha compound, whatever).

"Uchiha-san, it is a matter of genetics", the Elder stated, in that patronizing way of his.

Fuck genetics, you old piece of shit. Hiashi let the Elder play around with Sasuke like a cat with a mouse. The leader would be the one to cut his throat, though. And the Uchiha shifted his eyes to his future father-in-law. Hiashi was a man capable of reason, the head of a powerful clan, a warrior. Sasuke might have not had a big family to lead and would most probably never see the rebirth of the Uchiha Clan but he did count on at least some understanding on Hiashi's part.

"Uchiha-san, your descendants will need fresh blood for nine generations. Konoha does not permit consanguine matches, for all that I know."

The Hyūga leader was the voice of reason again. Him and the Elder had something along the lines of a _good cop, bad cop_ act going on. Sasuke knew _all_ about cops, coming from the Uchiha Clan.

"First cousin matches are not uncommon."

Sasuke could talk to Hiashi. They had the same cold, choppy way of stating their positions. There was nothing sugary-sweet about the leader. The same could not be said for the Elder. That old asshole had a way to get inside anyone's head and screw around with them from within. But it was between Hiashi and Sasuke that the game was being played at the moment.

"Yes, Uchiha-san. It is an option. However, genetic characteristics will converge fast enough. And the Uchiha Clan has been quite known for its kidney problems. You are most probably heterozygous for the defective gene. It would be quite a sad destiny for all those Uchiha children."

Hiashi talked, and yet it was the Elder's eyes that gleamed. Had Sasuke had more experience with clan matters, he would have been more than careful about taking the leader for granted. Or better said, he would have been careful about taking for granted who the leader was.

But Sasuke was certainly not experienced enough, since he had no clan of his own. And therefore, his eyes did not leave Hiashi's, believing that he was the only opponent at hand. By doing so, he did not mean to underestimate the Elders influence. He was just too naïve to believe that a man such as Hyūga Hiashi could be anyone's puppet. And too lost.

Five months ago, he had been much more perceptive and had judged that particular Elder to be the brain of the clan. However, as time had passed, and as the Hyūga had gotten him tangled up in all their plans and schemes, he had started to lose his concentration. And his perspicacity.

Some war lessons, if not actually learned during war, were never learned. The Uchiha had spent too much time sparing with Naruto one on one to remember that usually enemies came in hordes (after what had happened during the war, one would have expected him to understand as much), or pairs at least. And that the one that led the show was usually not the one that attacked.

"You are asking for the Uchiha Clan to give up on at least fifty percent of its children!"

The Uchiha's voice wavered. He sounded like an emotional puppy whose bone had been snatched right in front of his muzzle. But he could not contain himself. The Hyūga had forced ridiculous ideas onto him for the past five months. But this one deserved a medal, for fuck's sake.

"They would not be Uchiha. Those would be homozygous Hyūga children. _Most probably_."

Fuck the laws of genetics. Fuck the defective Uchiha gene that gave for multiple kidney infections. Fuck homozygous Hyūga (whatever that meant, he wasn't a fucking mednin, for God's sake) …

"Nine generations during which the Hyūga would supply _Bunke_ females and males to the Uchiha Clan. After those nine generations, there should be enough genetic divergence between the different branches of the family for the Uchiha people to start reproducing inside of the limits of their own clan."

Sasuke felt his shoulders tense. _Supply_. The way they were supplying Hyūga Hinata, right? Funny how he didn't mind such a concept being associated with his future bride, but shrank from it when used to describe the Hyūga on whose shoulders the Uchiha clan would be reborn.

Fact was, when he looked into Hinata's eyes (well, when he got the chance to), he saw nothing. They were vacant and ready to welcome just about anyone. She was an incubator, and that is what he had wanted for himself. And honestly, he could indeed imagine that all Hyūga, once they reached the reproductive age, transformed into statues of ice. What the fuck did he care?!

However he would never want his own sons and daughters to be chained to that misery he was so willing to face himself. He _could_ live with a Hyūga Hinata. He would never want such a destiny for anyone dear to him though. Because Uchiha Sasuke, once a reviled traitor and now a dangerous Konoha ANBU, planned on loving his children and holding them dear. And making decisions that would render their lives happier and easier. Not miserable as his had been up until now (and it seemed it would remain miserable until the end, with the addition of his charming _fiancée_ to his everyday routine).

"However, since we are talking about homozygous Hyūga and heterozygous Uchiha mating to produce children, at least fifty percent of their offspring will be homozygous Hyūga. And the Hyūga Clan is very particular about its branches. Those children should be returned to the clan, where they would be placed in foster families and eventually sealed."

What a very organized and particular plan. The Hyūga did not cease to amaze him. No, _amaze_ was not the word. _Repulse_ was closer to it. Sasuke had a gagging reflex that he barely refrained from showing as he imagined small Hyūga children, with their big pale eyes, and the seal carved on their foreheads.

He had seen those children. They would hide a few feet away from the mansion and try to get a good look at him. To them, he was as exotic as it got. Many would never even step a foot outside of the Hyūga compound. Many of them would become nothing but disposable servants. And then you wondered why Hyūga became lifeless chunks of flesh walking around here and there.

And the Hyūga wanted him to sign off tens and tens of children that would be born to the Uchiha Clan. To sign off his own grandchildren, potentially. This was sick. Even for Uchiha Sasuke. And he had had a long run with Orochimaru!

No. One Hyūga Hinata was not worth such a sacrifice. Sasuke was willing to bear much for the Uchiha Clan; he had been willing at some point in life to bear all the hatred of the world for his ideals. However, knowing his decisions would lead to the suffering of nine generations of innocent children was too heavy a burden to bear. Even for a hardened criminal.

Moving away from the table around which they were all seated, he did not even go to the trouble of bowing to the Hyūga men. He was closer to punching them than showing any type of respect. As he stood up, Sasuke did not even deign to brush over them with his eyes. Goal? Walk towards the _shōji_, slide it open and disappear from the Hyūga compound. Forever. And ever. And he might have actually done so had _she_ not come to put an end to all his ambitions of saving his genetic luggage.

As Sasuke slid the _shōji_ open in an aggressive movement, Hinata froze. She had been about to enter and would have fallen to her knees a second later had the Uchiha not appeared out of thin air. Having not been informed that he had been invited and having been called to her father's apartments, as opposed to a hall, she had not gone to the trouble of scanning the surroundings to insure there wasn't some surprise guest waiting for her.

The young woman was stunned to say the least and completely forgot that any type of emotion on her face was not becoming or proper. And had he been an expressive man, Hinata would have seen surprise etched on his features as well. What a rare sight. Hyūga Hinata dressed in what seemed to be a white sleeveless blouse and leggings, her dark hair damp and curling around the underside of her breasts.

She had just come out of the baths and surely hadn't appreciated being rushed towards her father's chambers with one of those creations her grandfather had ordered. Often, the leading family forgot that she was no seamstress or artist-on-call. But meeting Uchiha Sasuke, who was standing barely an inch away from her and saturating the air with that characteristic smell of freshly cut pinewood and fire, had certainly not been planned.

His eyes narrowed as they bore through hers. Those were the eyes she would be stuck looking at for the rest of her life. Hinata almost felt a panic attack settling in. No. No. No. She would not give him the pleasure of seeing her fright.

How trenchant those eyes were. There was no compassion, no pity, no understanding in them. And the only way she had found to protect herself was to slip into an apathy that shielded her soul from Uchiha Sasuke and his strange ways.

As she did whenever she was about to meet him, she averted her eyes. Her eyelids felt heavy as they slid down. Hinata's slightly parted lips closed and her mouth took an impersonal expression. She was back to being the shaking porcelain doll.

But it was too late. This had been the second time Sasuke had seen a glimpse of humanity in that oversized puppet. And he didn't like it, that was for sure. Yes, Hinata's indifference was a misery for any sane man. But for an Uchiha Sasuke, who was only partly sane (which meant he was not sane at all), her humaneness was just as unwelcome. Women were troublesome, hypersensitive and irrational beings. He did not need for their unruly emotions to come and poison his life.

In the end, breathing in the strong perfume of dampness, sandalwood, incense and paulownia that was pure Hyūga Hinata, Sasuke had to admit he had no idea what he wanted and had come into the Hyūga compound unprepared.

"Ah, my dear. It is a good thing you came. Uchiha-san was about to leave us. I know you would have been disappointed to miss him."

Maybe a man as shrewd as was Uchiha Sasuke was able to learn war lessons in times of peace after all. The sugary-sweet voice of the Elder triggered something inside of Sasuke and a little grain of doubt wormed its way into his head. He had always considered the Elder a dangerous man. However, the Uchiha had started to believe his sphere of influence to be more moral than political.

Sasuke had felt as if that man desired to pull him into the Hyūga Clan and to force him to submit to their traditions and customs. However, when it came to all the more practical questions surrounding money, property, estates and even children, the young man had been sure that the ideas came from the generals and the leader.

But here was Hyūga Hinata. She had been surprised to see him. She had not used the Byakugan to scan the room before entering. Hence, she had not expected to see something out of place. Another thing to be made notice of was her state. Wet hair and clothes that were quite uncommon for her. At least, uncommon when he was present. She had been asked to come without knowing the reason.

The way the Elder spoke, it had been him that had asked her to come. Not specifically Hyūga Hiashi. And why would he demand from her to come without giving her a reason unless it was to compel Sasuke in agreeing with something? They wanted to remind him what he was walking away from. The Elder wanted to remind Sasuke what he was walking away from. Not Hiashi.

The Elder had most probably convinced the generals to bring up the question of rentable Uchiha estate for the use of Hyūga families. The Elder had been the one to force Hiashi to bring up the subject of children. He always stayed clear of all types of delicate subjects, didn't he? Knowing full well Sasuke would be more than careful if he of all people introduced them.

Son of a bitch. Sasuke might have liked kids, but he started to hate the elderly. And here you had Sasuke believing he could smell an Orochimaru a mile away. He had been proven wrong alright.

The Uchiha's onyx eyes changed color. _Tomoe_ were about to appear. His rage was palpable. As his fists contracted, Hinata was quite sure she felt the air saturate with electricity. A shiver mingled with her periodic tremors. Something had happened and she had no idea what it was. The only thing she knew was that all of Sasuke's rage was focused in her direction.

Before Hinata had the time to take a fighting stance and show her grandfather and father that she wasn't all that rusty, even after the sealing (not that she had a chance against Uchiha Sasuke; at least, not _alone_), her grandfather broke the silence between the two future spouses again.

"Will you not show Uchiha-san what you have spent your nights doing, my love?"

Her grandfather made her skin creep. His _love_ sounded more like _bitch_; his smiles were grimaces and his little act was making her want to break something. And Hyūga Hinata was not a violent girl by nature; she usually left such outbursts to her younger sibling. Was there no limit to a man's hypocrisy?

But it had some good; it distracted the Uchiha from his rage. It actually got him to scan the Hyūga girl from head to toe and to realize that she was holding a white, wooden box under her left arm. Did he fucking look like someone that would get all excited about some sketches, some _shōga_ or other Hyūga bullshit?! They had spent the last five months getting on each other's nerves, he would have expected from Hiashi and the Elder to at least know he didn't dig abstract art. And all art was abstract to him.

Since it seemed that the Uchiha would not move aside to permit her to enter her father's apartments and since it was her duty to obey when her superiors demanded something of her, Hinata simply took a step back and fell to her knees on the cold wood of the hallway. Sasuke did not budge an inch. Seated on her ankles, she shifted the white box and placed it in front of his feet. Her hands slid under the lid and retrieved what seemed to be a heavy black fabric.

"Uchiha-s-san, please accept t-this humble p-present as a s-symbol of my affection."

Her voice rang false to the ear. However, as she rose to her feet once again, the fabric unfolded to reveal a design that made Sasuke's head spin. He was not a man of great taste and would not be able to appreciate a _haori_ of quality when presented with one. The only ones he remembered were those worn by his father.

However, the design of a phoenix in flight holding the Uchiha fan between its claws held a symbolic so strong that even Uchiha Sasuke could appreciate all its power.

But the fact that Hyūga Hinata was the one holding that phoenix between her fine hands took the meaning to a whole new level. The phoenix was the emblem of rebirth. The fan was the Uchiha's coat of arms. The rebirth of the Uchiha Clan. Held by a Hyūga's long, supple fingers. His eyes narrowed. They moved from the design to her face. He didn't want to look at its beauty; he wanted her to meet his glance and to hold it.

And she did. Her eyes were pale and vacant. They were ready to welcome Uchiha Sasuke as the center of her universe. They spoke of obedience and meekness.

"P-permit me, Uchiha-s-san."

She approached him softly. He noticed how as her hands shook the golden threads of the _haori_ shimmered. And he obeyed her unspoken order. Lifted one arm for her to slide on the fabric, turned around, lifted the other one. Her cold fingers caressed the nape of his neck as she adjusted the collar. And strangely, her touch felt familiar.

"It fits perfectly," the Elder exclaimed in deceitful awe, "and Hinata did not even take measurements."

Hyūga Hinata was offering him the rebirth of the Uchiha Clan. And he would take it. He would take her. She would be his and no one, no Elder, no leader, no schemes would change that fact. His back was to Hinata and she was left to admire her own creation, as he looked down on the Elder and Hiashi.

"I thank the Hyūga Clan for its sensible offer; however the Uchiha Clan will have to refuse it."

Yeah, you know what?! Fucking kidney infections could be avoided by drinking water! He wanted and would take Hyūga Hinata. It had nothing to do with affection; it had nothing to do with desire or even with the satisfaction of having a beautiful woman by his side. It had to do with her vacant eyes where he would reign as master.

However, there was no way he would sacrifice nine generations of children for that. She would make a great incubator, sure. But with how science was advancing, he was quite sure that in a few thirty years from then, he would be able to plant his seed in a pot and an Uchiha cabbage baby would grow from it. Hell, wasn't that how Zetsu had been spawned?!

As he turned around and finally walked away, the _haori_ brushing against Hinata's naked elbow, Uchiha Sasuke had made two mistakes.

He had turned his back on the Elder and hence had not seen the satisfied smile that had appeared on his wrinkled mouth. A wise man never turned his back on a schemer. Especially one with a few decades of experience. Had he only remained a split of a second longer in the hallway, he might have heard the Elder whisper:

"Uchiha-san forgot that even first cousin matches would give for Hyūga children eventually. That boy will be ever so useful, will he not, Hiashi?"

And he had mistaken Hinata's cloudy eyes for vacant. When in fact he simply didn't have the key to unlock all their secrets just of yet.

The eyes of a Hyūga Hinata could never be vacant.

**x.x.x.**

She could rub her hands raw but would not get rid of that feel. The feel of Uchiha Sasuke's skin against hers. He had shivered when her fingers had touched the nape of his neck, she had shivered along. His hair had been soft, surprisingly soft. This would be the man that she would spend the rest of her miserable life with.

How cold his dark eyes were! And even colder when the _Sharingan_ was activated. The best she could expect from him was that he remained distant and absent. Physically absent. She had believed indeed that her grandfather had demanded that very _haori_ to be designed for Uchiha Sasuke. Why else incorporate the Uchiha, fan?!

In her mind as she had been informed her grandfather would receive her, he wanted to see how the design was coming along. She had spent the night on it, wrapping it up and making it presentable. Hinata's simple desire had been to prove her grandfather that she was good at something. No, that she was the best at something. Even if it meant only the arts. No one had informed her the Uchiha would be present.

It had come like a shock to her system. She still could not shrug the feeling off. His body, lean, yet muscular, dominating, had been so close to her. Hinata could swear she had felt the heat emanating from his torso and his heart beating against her bosom. His smell, that strange smell of burning pinewood, had hazed her mind to the point she had almost dropped the box she had been holding.

Uchiha Sasuke twisted her head around. And not in a good way. He made her feel inadequate. The same way Hanabi had when they had been children. But she was in no competition with Uchiha Sasuke, was she? She had been at some point, but that was the past. He hadn't shown her once that he acknowledged what had happened … But he had not been called the _Avenger_ for nothing, had he?

_He will not dare as much as look at you the wrong way_. So had Kō said. She was too precious for Konoha. Yeah, right. It was more along the lines that Uchiha Sasuke was too dangerous for them to let him do as he pleased.

Uchiha Sasuke was under control. She knew all the ANBU that spent their nights in front of his balcony, scanning his apartment and making sure he had solidly slipped into _REM_ territory. They were Hyūga after all. However, it had been discussed behind closed doors that Hiashi would _convince_ the Gōdaime to give the Uchiha more freedom.

Gathering water in her palms, she brought her face closer to the basin and washed it energetically. Her eyes were prickling and a low-grade fever was setting in. Condemned to yet another sleepless night, it seemed. A sleepless night she would spend thinking about Uchiha Sasuke's hands on her body.

Hinata did not dry her face as she scurried to her feet and ran towards her alcove. Basins and vases full of water were left for the servants to come pick up. As she approached her futon, she knew she should have undressed and slid her body into a thick _yukata_, yet she did not muster the courage to bury her cold fingers under her clothes. She would not be able to bear anybody's fingers on her body as she thought of Sasuke. Not even her own.

As she crashed to the floor and hid under the covers of her futon, she let all the haze of her fever take over. Shivers were starting to settle in. Hinata felt nauseous. Scrunching her eyes hard, she begged God to deliver her from her suffering. Uchiha Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke. That name had become the center of her life. An evil god in her pantheon of abandoned deities. How she hated him. Oh, how she hated him.

Their wedding was approaching dangerously. In barely a month from now, she would be given to him. And he would take her. She had a gagging reflex, more out of horror than disgust. He was a handsome man. Many a woman had wanted him to possess her. And according to the Hyūga ANBU she was acquainted with, he had obliged in many circumstances. She had known a woman that had been willing to go to hell and back for him. But Hinata would not stoop so low as to think about _her_ … Oh, yes. She would. Count on Hinata to torture herself in the middle of the night thinking about Haruno Sakura.

Wasn't the situation amusing? Haruno Sakura would see Hyūga Hinata's name beside Uchiha Sasuke's in the Konoha Annals as soon as their match was made official. Ironic. And Hinata felt nothing at the idea that one day she herself would see Haruno Sakura's name beside Uzumaki Naruto's. She had spent twelve years of her life running after him and this is what remained?! Just a bittersweet taste in the back of her throat?

Was this all that would remain of twelve years of her fucking life?!

She had loved Uzumaki Naruto to the point of being blinded. And yet during five out of those twelve years, Neji, her _brother_, her _cousin_, her … _friend_, had walked by her side, shouldered her and helped her become the _kunoichi_ she had been.

Who had offered her the rare praise when she improved?

Neji.

Who had been the one to bring her tea and food while she had been knee-deep in shit and piss, caring for the wounded during the war?

Neji.

Who had given his life for her to have a few more miserable years in front of her?

Neji.

As she had charged alongside the Hyūga _shinobi_ that had been under Neji's lead, she had hoped _he_ would have helped her get rid of her pain. And _he_ almost had. Uchiha Sasuke had almost killed her. She could still feel his hand penetrating her stomach and electrocuting her with _chakra_. She had been so close to joining Neji. But of course, count on Haruna Sakura to steal even your last hope from you. She had gotten Naruto, what did she need to snatch Neji away as well?! She should have left Hinata to die.

Had Neji suffered the way she had? Had he kept his eyes on her for five years, following her around and begging for her to just turn around one time and see him? The same way Hinata had with Naruto? It was so easy to accuse Naruto and Sakura, but in the end she had not been any better, had she? She had ignored Neji, the way Naruto had ignored her.

Had she only known. Had Hinata only known. She would have forced herself to love Neji. Had he only remained alive, she would have given him more than her lips. She would have given him her heart, her soul, her body. She would have been his, damned be hierarchy, the _Sōke_ and the _Bunke_, the Elders and their prejudice. Damned be Uzumaki Naruto. But Neji was no more. He had died saving her and Naruto's lives.

And now? Now, Uchiha Sasuke would have her. _Simply open your legs and be the corpse he buries himself in. Periodically_. How many times had she repeated those simple instructions in her head? Countless times. Whenever the Uchiha would be seated by her side and she would serve him _sake_, she repeated that simple mantra. Trying to make it easier on her.

And it had only gotten harder. Every time she saw the beautiful, expressionless eyes of Uchiha Sasuke, she wanted to scream. And she knew he wanted to make her scream. Whenever her father, the Elders or the military advisors annoyed him, she felt him direct his rage towards her. They all said he would not dare as much as breathe the wrong way around her. She was quite sure that she would be the one that would not dare as much as breathe around him.

Hinata already wanted to shrink away from his perfect hands. Strong pale hands travelled by blue veins that could easily snap her neck in two if they decided to. Naruto she had at least loved; she would have been able to convince herself that his touch was warm. Neji had at least loved her; his touch would have been warm, she knew. However, Sasuke's would be the impersonal touch of a man who fondled his possession.

Because she had willingly sold off. Hyūga Hinata, like so many other retired _kunoichi_, had become a prostitute. But she did not have the excuse of having kids to feed or bills to pay. No, and funny, she was a lucky one. She had sold off for the equivalent of her dowry that would be under her control. And unlike so many poor girls that did the streets or spent their days closed up in the seedy chambers of a brothel, she would be the mistress of a luxurious downtown suite, the Hyūga Clan's wedding gift, one of many. Simply to get on all four when Uchiha Sasuke demanded it.

Shifting under the covers, she brought her hand to her mouth and bit down on her wrist. Bad habit, very bad habit. But she didn't care. It hindered Hinata from crying out in pain, good enough. No. She could not do it; she knew she could not do it.

Hyūga Hinata was the stupid nineteen-year old girl that had kept her virginity for the love of her life. Unlike so many other girls that had lost it during missions or wartime, she had kept hers because she was a stupid romantic. An idealist. An idiot.

And she had succeeded at it even with Inuzuka Kiba around. He would have helped her in that department any time, had she expressed the wish to get rid of it. Sasuke would have _that_ too. And she could not bear the idea that her first time, after so many years of dreaming about it, would be as personal as a hysterectomy.

The only thing she would have wanted was a little bit of softness. Nothing else. Hinata could not let Uchiha Sasuke and the Hyūga Clan rob her of that. She had given up too much already. Way too much. And that is when she realized. There was a solution to everything, wasn't there? Her teeth released her wrist and it slipped from her mouth.

She had lost track of time. She had gotten accustomed to count the seconds before she fell asleep since the end of the war. Only way for her mind not to auto-cannibalize itself. Hinata activated the _Byakugan_ under her breath and scanned the hallway without shifting on her futon. The _HISS_ guards were nervous. It must have been close to midnight, they always got edgy when their shift was over. There would be a switch.

Fair enough, they were already taking their leave. In thirty seconds, new guards would replace them. Thirty seconds was a lot of time if you knew what you wanted to do. Carefully, she concentrated all the chakra of her body into one source that seeped out of her pores. She needed water. And lucky her, there was a pond on the other side of her alcove's _shōji_ and a good deal of water left in her toiletry accessories.

Before long, little streams of water were seeping through the _shōji_ of her room, slithering towards her like snakes until they had covered her completely, forming a hydrated cocoon. She needed a lot of chakra to make a perfect water clone. It had to last for at least another six hours. And it needed to have a chakra flow itself. Just in case, a guard had the good idea of checking on her. And then she would need chakra to conceal her own wells. Living with the Hyūga made it surely hard to sneak out in the middle of the night.

Twenty seconds left. She rolled from under her clone and got a good look at it. Good enough. If anyone touched it, it would collapse, but who would dare to come and shake the living shit out of Hyūga Hiashi's daughter in the middle of the night? Focusing her eyes on the ceiling, she did her best to make chakra seep out of each pore in her body. And at once, she pulled it back in, short-circuiting her wells. A chakra glitch. There was nothing more painful. But she had to move.

Fifteen seconds left. She rose on all four, barely slid the _shōji_ to the garden open and slipped out. No one there. Twelve seconds left. She had to run even if she couldn't take a normal breath with her chakra wells inactive.

Ten seconds left. She ran past the weeping willow. Eight seconds left. She pulled herself up the brick wall surrounding the mansion. Three seconds left. She disappeared in a dark alley and ran into the streets of the Hyūga compound. It took one twenty-five minutes to get to the _Bunke_ area. It took Hinata thirty-five minutes. Try running when your chakra wells feel like someone had shoved socks into them.

It took an extra half hour to get out and to the _outskirts_. Abandoned houses built on what had been a swamp. Inhabitable to the point the _Bunke_ had had no choice but to leave the area. But she knew she would find him there. Back in the days, fourteen years ago, his father had had a _dōjō_ in that area. Hinata acutely remembered Kō's parents.

His father had been a tall, lanky middle-aged man with a big laugh. The first time Kō had taken her to the _dōjō_, she had been welcomed by a whole group of _Bunke_ _shinobi_ and _kunoichi_ that practiced a very particular type of _taijutsu_. His father had comically opened his mouth wide, pulled at his hair and exclaimed:

"I told the boy to bring back a bride and he goes and steals a _Sōke_ _hime_. What have I done in my passed life to deserve such a good-for-nothing for a son! I regret the day I dropped _ya_ on _yar _head, Kō …"

She was standing in front of that very _dōjō_. Of course, it didn't look like anything anymore. The wood which the building was made of had long rotten and it was most probably dangerous to enter, let alone spent one's time in there. Yet, light was seeping through the decaying _shōji_ and Hinata could see a form moving about.

He knew she was there even if he could not see her. He had already told her six hundred times not to play with her chakra wells. He stopped his training for a split of a second but resumed it fast enough. She shouldn't be there; it was completely immoral for a young woman, the daughter of the leader, to run around in the middle of the night.

But morality was exactly what Hinata was not interested in at the moment. Walking up the stairs leading to the veranda, she kneeled on one knee to undo the _geta_ she had frenetically slipped on before leaving. And then she glided the _shōji_ aside and appeared in front of him.

Dressed in nothing but a sleeveless white blouse and leggings. As if it wasn't the middle of March. The faint light of the _dōjō_ played shadow games on her features. Sometimes, Kō wondered whether she was a _yukionna_ that had come for his soul. He didn't stop his training at the mere sight of her. If he dropped his kettlebells and ceased taking long steps about the _dōjō_'s old _tatami_, she would get a well-deserved spanking.

Another nightly attack of the blues? God he was tired. Kō was fucking tired, okay?! He was tired of all the bullshit surrounding her wedding with the Uchiha. He was tired of the preparations. Of seeing Uchiha Sasuke walk around the place as if he were the master of the compound. Of Hinata's one-hundred-and-one _kimono_. He was tired of her tears, her nightmares, her sadness.

What he was the most tired of was how he couldn't do anything to erase her fears, to make Uchiha-boogeyman disappear. He was tired of being useless. As she stepped in and slid the shōji behind herself, a whiff of perfume punched him in the gut. Would she ever stop having that effect on him? Maybe. Maybe when she married the Uchiha. Flexing his biceps, he brought the kettlebells up to his shoulders, turned around and took another long step, bending his knees as much as possible.

Her insistent glance did not waver as he continued with his training, ignoring her completely. He was the only man she had ever examined so openly. And it was a real ass-burner, if you wanted his opinion. Okay, the silence was getting the best of him. She always won when it came to keeping silent. For fuck's sake.

"You shouldn't be here, Hinata. What do you want?"

Kō hoped that he sounded snappy enough and would make her guilt-trip. As she didn't answer, he finally dropped the kettlebells and turned around to face her. He was about to scold her like when she had been five. When you act like a brat, you deserve to be treated like one.

And then it happened. Again. Her eyes attracted all the attention. They always did. And he did not like what he saw in them. Fear of course. But something else. Something he knew quite well. She was having another crisis, like the one she had had three months ago. But this time, she wasn't hallucinating, remembering the war or Neji. No, she seemed to be lucid.

Slowly, she took a step forward, and then another one. She walked towards him, holding his glance. People outside the clan did not realize how different Hyūga eyes could be from one individual to another. Hinata for example had always had heavy eyelids and thick eyelashes that had with age transformed her sleepy look into a smoky one. Her big eyes told Kō, or anyone really, especially men, that she knew a secret and that if he was very nice, she would be willing to share it. A very scary secret. A tantalizing one too.

"Hinata …"

She stood in front of him, almost pressed against him. Kō didn't have the reflex to take a step back. They were intimate, and he had held her close so many times through the years. But the way she stared directly into his eyes, _demanding_ something, made him very uneasy. And he had no idea why. Maybe because for the first time of her life, Hinata was acting like a _Sōke_. Oh, the irony. She came in contact with her inner dictator after her sealing. Funny how shit happened.

She did it slowly, letting him follow each one of her movements. Rising on tiptoes, her small, quivering hands shooting out to hold onto his shoulders, she brought her face ever so close to his. He felt her sweet breath brush over his mouth. Kō had no idea what was happening, his whole brain just gave up on the situation. But as her pulp, pink lips chastely pressed against his, an electric shock travelled down his spine. Violently, he pushed her away and jumped back himself.

Hinata stumbled, but did not fall down. He however was about to lose equilibrium and faint.

"What the fuck do you think you are doing, Hinata?!"

Her head dipped and her long hair covered her face. He didn't want her either. He was like Naruto. Neji had wanted her. The generals wanted her. Kiba had wanted her (but Kiba was a charitable soul, as long as one took showers and had a vagina, he would be more than willing to oblige). The Uchiha wanted her.

But Naruto had never wanted her. And Kō didn't want her either.

"Am I n-not p-pretty enough?"

Okay. What the fuck was happening?! This was not good. This was not good by a long shot. This girl he was seeing, standing there like a statue, with her hair falling down like a veil, was not _his_ Hinata. His Hinata would have never been so bold as to take the first step towards a man. And she would have never taken the first step towards _him_; he was not delusional to believe otherwise.

"Hinata, what happened? Talk to me."

_Talk to me_. When she had been little and coming back from the academy with her head low, he would have always taken her to his mother, seated her in their living room and asked her to talk to him. Often, she would refuse and his mom would just shoo him out and take over. She had been a nice, sad, small lady with big eyes that would always force-feed Hinata something. And she had been the only mother-figure in Hinata's life after her own mother's death.

But she could not talk to Kō. They both had lost his parents too young. His father had died when Hinata had been five, of a heart-attack. His mother had died when she had been seven. Of sadness, most probably. Hinata and Kō had been left all alone. And fast enough, she had graduated and went her own way. They had drifted apart. Of course, they had remained close; she always came to him first. However, so many things she had not told him about her life. So many things he had been stuck to learn from other people.

And here she was standing, quivering and in pain, not telling him what it is that had happened for her to do something so brash.

'_Am I not pretty enough?_'

How could _she_ of all people ask something like that?! How could she ask _him_?!

"Talk to me", he repeated with a hoarse voice.

"I w-will not l-let him have m-me that way."

Whom? What way? He didn't understand. But Kō did notice how her little hands formed tight fists and her tremors increased periodically. He might have not been delusional, but she most definitely was. And before he had the time to talk her into going back to the mansion, her fingers had started undoing the small metallic clasps of her blouse.

Horror struck him as he saw white, flawless flesh appear from under the fabric. Pushing her hair back with her hand, he got a good look at her seal. They were _equals_. That seal proved that they were equals. No. He shouldn't be thinking like that. Someone would be looking for her and finding her this way would shame her and her descendants for generations to come. She was about to marry the Uchiha.

Hinata let the blouse slide from her shoulders, remaining in nothing but bandages that barely covered her breasts. Her eyes were already swimming in tears that would start streaming down her cheeks any instant now.

And they stood staring at each other. He had never seen so much beauty in his life. He had had women, he had been everything but celibate. Finding a wanton thing in Konoha was easier done than said, seriously. Finding a wanton thing outside of Konoha was a real joke. He had kept away from Hyūga women for obvious reasons and indulged in the exotics as much as his missions had permitted him.

But never, in his thirty-two years of life, had he seen a woman more perfect than Hyūga Hinata. And he wanted to cry. He wanted to weep, and to scream and to hit something. Preferentially Uchiha Sasuke. What had he done in his past life for his _karma_ to play such games on him?

"I w-will not l-let him t-take me this w-way."

Those words were clear enough, weren't they? Hey, Kō, I came here to fuck you so that Uchiha Sasuke wouldn't have the prime of it. How generous of you, _hime_. How fucking generous. His own hands formed firsts. But unlike Hinata's hands that had always been meant to heal, his had been meant to kill.

"How very generous of you", he whispered under his breath, rage washing over him.

Hyūga Hinata had been the center of the universe for over fourteen years of his life. And he had never forgiven her for it. Not once had she realized that he was a human being too. That he had had dreams too. She knew she was the center of his world and had always treated him as such. She came to him when she needed something; she came to him to relieve her tension, to get her weekly dose of affection. She had been a sweet kid. But never sweet to him because he deserved her sweetness but because she bestowed it upon everyone and anyone that came by, without any type of prejudice or preference.

And here she was, flaunting her body at him. Demanding from him to just drop his pants and fuck her so her conscience felt better about going off to marry Uchiha Sasuke. Did anyone even hear of something like that?! Asking someone to fuck you before your marriage?! She wanted to have a foretaste of what it is that was waiting for her?! She just wanted to go crazy before she had to settle down?!

Hinata took a step forward, all that white skin moving towards him. She had such a narrow waist. She had starved herself to death or almost. There was something sad in the way her ribs pointed through her pale skin. And something sad in the way her eyes begged him.

Kō took a step back, his member more limp than it had ever been and his balls shrivelled beyond return. No, _hime_. This time your faithful slave will not oblige.

And she broke at seeing him move away from her. Her Kō had never moved away from her, he had never looked at her that way. That disgusted way. Maybe is it that he was the only person that truly saw her, the real her. And that real her deserved the contempt. A sad smile appeared on her lips.

But not a tear escaped her. Hinata would do her best not to cry at the humiliation. It wouldn't be the first time she had been rejected, she was a big girl, she could take it. But, what she couldn't take was to feel that distance between them. Kō had always been the thing she had come back to. When there was nowhere else she could do.

But from the moment Kō had started talking about how she should accept the Uchiha and face her fate, she had known he wanted to get rid of her too. He was like her father and the Elders. They wanted her as far away of the clan as possible, worried she might corrupt someone. Hanabi, most probably.

"You want to get rid of me."

Funny how she never stuttered when she said hurtful things. His eyes went ablaze. So this was it? When she didn't get what she wanted, the princess became sulky. Hinata didn't even know what she was asking for. How could she?! When he made sure that she never got to know about such things! Had he not protected her?! Had he not done his best, whenever he could, to keep her on the right path?!

Kō's rage set him afire. And changed his whole perspective. She was challenging him with her damp eyes. Her lips were set into a grim pout of reproach. Her hair was longer than he remembered, her skin seemed softer than what he had imagined. And that way she had to stare at him from under her eyelashes made her seem much older than she was. He had to remember that she was nothing but a little girl, a nineteen-year old girl that knew nothing of life. That insistent stare told him otherwise though. And he wanted to hurt her too.

"Do you know what men do to little girls in a woman's body?"

A hesitance. The challenge slipped from her face. Fear regained control over her. However, trust the hatred a woman felt for her future husband to be stronger than everything.

"_They_ say I am b-beautiful."

_They._ Yes, _they_. _They_ could be anyone. _They_ were most probably the generals who could not refrain from whispering when she passed by, to let their lecherous eyes travel over her curves and edges. Jealousy. That was the feeling that ensnared his heart. He would never be jealous of an Uchiha Sasuke.

The Uchiha will have a pretty doll to freeze him to the bone. However, this desperate Hinata that was standing half-naked in front of Kō, burning with fever, hostility and defiance, he could not lose to some dense military advisor. She attempted another step towards him. He did not step back this time.

As she approached, Kō's shoulders tensed. An instant ago, she had been a woman, but the closer she got to him the more she looked like the little Hinata he had carried around, perched on his shoulder. A lost little girl that cried for her mother. She froze barely an inch away from him.

The delicate perfume that was purely Hinata saturated the air around them. To the point he could not smell the dampness of the _tatami_, or the stench of rotting wood.

"T-the only thing I ever w-wanted w-was a little b-bit of s-softness."

She spoke to him. She finally spoke to him. His rage dissipated in thin air. Nothing but a little bit of _softness_. Everything Hinata had ever deserved. She had been a sweet girl, even if she had not known how to dispense her sweetness. She had loved him, even if she had never loved him enough to see more than a servant in him. At least, so he thought.

Again, her little hands settled on his shoulders and she brought her beautiful, tortured face close to his.

"Please," she whispered without daring to press her lips against his another time.

He would do as she bid him. Because Kō had had only two loves in his life. Hyūga Hinata … and the _revolution_. Slowly, he lowered his head and his lips found hers. He had no youth, no money and no morals. Because no man of thirty-two would dream of a girl of nineteen. And let the dream seep into reality.

Her lips were gentle and welcoming. Despair was making them tremble ever so slightly. She was afraid. And so was he.

Kō slipped an arm around her waist, his palms relishing the feel of her smooth, cool skin. In response, her own arms slid around the nape of his neck. His tongue appeared and swept over her lower lip. The feeling was new and surprising to the point she gasped in shock. However, it was far from disagreeable. Tentatively, he slipped it between her lips. Her eyes shot open and met his own. And what she finally saw in them froze her to the bone.

His eyes were pale and expressionless for the world, however she was a Hyūga. She should have learned how to read such eyes by now. They were telling her secrets she would have preferred not to know. But it was too late to pull away now, and honestly, as his tongue teased her inexperienced one, she did not want to. She scrunched her eyes shut. He was suffering but she didn't want to care. She only wanted to concentrate on the softness of his touch on her naked skin.

She was flush against him. Kō could feel her heart beating against his. In unison, they were beating in unison. Before she had the time to realize what had happened, she felt herself being picked up and laid out on the cold _tatami_ of the _dōjō_. He broke the kiss. Her eyes fluttered open. Looming above her like a threatening shadow, Kō smoothened the hair away from her face. No one had ever touched her with so much care. He did not go back to kissing her lips. He took his sweet time, examining every detail of her face.

Soon enough, he would wake up from this dream and slam into reality. But for now, he had been granted a few instants of delusion. Had anyone ever noticed that little palpitating spot at the basis of her throat? Or had Kō always been the only one to detect those small details about her? He knew he would forever be the only one to know Hinata perfectly.

He kissed his way down her throat, feeling her writhe underneath him. All those sensations. His thumb around her mouth, his hand caressing her ribs and his lips nipping at her throat. Every one of his movements was full of care. And she knew, no one would ever be as careful with her as he was.

His hands were warm, oh thank God. As his lips dipped into the hollow at the basis of her throat, she let a faint mewl escape her. Her pelvis shot up and their hips almost collided. He did his best to keep his body away from hers. But that faint touch made him growl. And he could not refrain from sliding a hand passed her hip and grapping onto her muscular thigh, bringing it over the small of his back. Bringing their bodies closer.

The hand on her face traced the column of her neck. She was already panting, her eyes now wide open but unable to focus on anything. Was this how it went for everyone? The heart that was about to explode, the skin that felt the smallest blow of air and that throb, that pulsating throb between one's legs?

Tentatively, keeping his eyes on hers, begging her desperately with his sad glance without her understanding what it is that he wanted; his hand left the base of her neck and travelled passed her collarbone. She gasped through a pant. And her skin that had already taken a rosy tint became crimson. His nose nuzzled the underside of her chin as his large hand pressed against her breast through the bandages surrounding her torso.

The moan that reverberated through her throat was something he would have never imagined hearing from her. Something wanton and commanding. She threw her head back, her left hand clawing the _tatami_ of the room. As his thumb passed over her hardening nipple, her lips parted in a gasp. Her lower-body grinded against his.

This woman he was seeing, her head thrown back, her eyes shining through thick, black eyelashes, pearl-white teeth gleaming through her pink lips, was not Hinata. This was a desperate, scared woman that was trying to help herself the only way she knew. And he could not take advantage of her. Because he loved her.

His hand left her breast and went for the leg thrown over his hips. Carefully, he removed it and set it on the ground. Her brows flared, she shot up on her elbows.

"K-Kō …"

He simply rolled over and stayed there, lying on his back. Before long, restrained sobs settled in and he made a pussy out of himself in front of the woman that he could have slept with barely a few seconds ago. That had willingly offered herself.

Hyūga Kō had never been one to cry. He had not cried when Hōtaru had died. He had not cried when his parents have been buried. He had not even cried when Hinata had been sealed. However, he was not strong enough to keep the anguish in anymore. This strange moment Hinata and him had shared, in his father's old _dōjō_, had been too much.

And so, he let the tears slide down the corner of his eyes. A cool, trembling hand settled itself on his forehead, caressed his hair back.

"Sh. It's okay. Y-you are g-going to be okay. I p-promise."

_Heh_. He stopped in the middle, right when things were going to get good, he made a pussy out of himself crying like a baby in front of the most beautiful woman he was ever given to see and now, he let her comfort him. Someone just please cut his balls off.

"I am s-sorry," Hinata whispered.

And she was. She truly was sorry. Because she had seen the secrets hidden in his pale eyes. She was sorry because she would ignore them. But at least, all this pain had had some good. Hinata had completely forgotten to the very existence of Uchiha Sasuke.


	4. Queen of Hearts and King of Spades

**[A/N]**

**Here it is. Chapter 4 of TFH.**

***sits down, opens bottle of rakija, lights a cigarette***

**I know I need to address the elephant in the room. And I am not talking about this 27 000 word-long chapter. We all read it, we all saw it. What amazes me is that all the people I communicated with and myself didn't even bitch that much about the pairings. Naruto is over people. The dice have been thrown. It is officially SasuSaku and NaruHina. And honestly … I moaned about it for about two minutes. Like most people I know. **

**We are at the point where … we don't care. What we do care about is the message that Kishimoto is sending to young girls all over the world. Is it me, or women in their 40s (women in their 40s can be very sexy, let me tell you) look like women in their 60s, all the girls gave up on their ambitions and started producing offspring and the strong female characters (Anko for example) were caricatured, humiliated and mocked?! **

**Is it me or is Kishimoto telling girls that they should run after abusive men that beat them, humiliate them and reject them over and over again? Or after men that ignore them, do not provide for their emotional wellbeing?! I won't even get into the fact that Sasuke is travelling the world while Sakura is cleaning, obviously NOT being the mednin she bitched about becoming during half of the manga. And I will not even point at the fact that the Hyūga have most probably NOT changed and that Hinata is not their leader but Uzumaki Naruto's cleaning lady.**

**As my beloved **_**A Sunny Place for Sasuke**_** has said, and I am quoting:**

"_**[…] I saw the computer at Naruto's office but I certainly didnt see established ideals of the 21st century. respect, rights, EQUALITY.**_**"**

**Says it all. Topic closed.**

***takes a last puff, exhales fumes, puts out cigarette***

**Obviously, our forsaken heirs do not agree with Kishimoto and want to change the ending. And who am I to refuse it. The fic will go on. And will eventually be finished. Had Kishimoto not screwed over, I might have finished it earlier, but now I have so many ideas for so many chapters that you guys will be stuck with me for a while.**

**I made a chapter filled with misogyny, female-bashing and other BS. Just to have the pleasure of sending it to hell in the upcoming chapters.**

**Again, I must thank you all for your support. Each and every follow, each favorite means the world to me. Especially after what happened with Naruto. Guys, this fic is going on because I cannot abandon it and I cannot let you down. Even if I feel like sending everything to hell, I admit. Ain't gonna happen because I have you guys to remind me that giving up just because Kishimoto is a prick is BS.**

**To all my reviewers. Guys. I cannot thank you enough. Every encouraging word just pulls my head out of my ass. You guys do more for me than a lot of my friends, sad but true. **

**Kibachow, lookingforEmile, SarahiNia, dumdeedum, luvhinata, LuvleeCookieChan, H. , Lila-me, audaciousxXxbooks, MsChifSantos, Azeyma, Morgenbitch, taeko87, A sunny place for Sasuke, Rena-Nakamura13, Yudoku Kabe-no-Hana. **

**You are the guys that keep this story going. I owe you. More than I can even express. I am going to shed a tear here.**

**Other thing. People, there are some damn good fics out there if you are willing to look around. My suggestions are the following:**

**1) **_**Mirrored Illusions**_**, by Yudoku Kabe-no-Hana, already told you about it.**

**2) **_**No more Room in the Oven**_**, by TheUtsukushiiYume. **

**This is a very realistic take on life, family, relationships, shit that goes down and that you need to manage. Honestly, this is a guide to surviving in today's society and is a wonderful critique. It is not brainless romance, it is life. And obviously, it needs to get more reviews because it deserves them. It is well-written in every way.**

**3) Anything, but anything, by **_**lookingforEmile**_**. **

**These are my little treats to go through a bad day. Oneshots, most of them are in Spanish, but Emile is starting to translate them. **_**Berries up in the Air**_** is the only translation at the moment but I take in account that others will follow. They are often very realistic, sometimes cute, sometimes serious. All of then enticing. The types of short stories you read in your bed, under your covers. They make you laugh and blush. Or cry. Emile sheds a light on the intimacy of her characters and develops them better and with more understanding than Kishimoto himself.**

**And finally about Chapter 4. It is very long, I am sorry. I was too lazy in past chapters and a lot of things I needed to introduce before leaving them aside for a while ended up being shoved into chapter 4. I just tried to set the political tone for the fic.**

**So no more politics for a while. Starting next chapter (that will not be as long, hopefully), we concentrate on developing Sasuke and Hinata's relationship. I warn you, it will go down before going up.**

**All my love, my kisses and affection to all of you. You are the best, what else do you want me to tell you guys?!**

**Enjoy!**

**Oh and I got lazy to write the definitions of the Japanese terms … Just google, please. I am sorry.**

…

**The Forsaken Heirs**

_Chapter 4_

Queen of Hearts and King of Spades

_By_

_Voyna_

"One on one, only _taijutsu_."

What the fuck was wrong with his life?! Why did such shit only happen to him?! Naruto shot him his trademark smirk. Sasuke was in for it. But come on, he was Uchiha Sasuke, he would find a way to screw over the six feet two inches of pure muscle that were shooting him a wink and kiss. And then they wondered why all the ANBU made gay jokes about them.

"No chakra."

Fuck. His. Life. Kakashi was a piece of shit, honestly. Shooting his captain a dirty glare, Sasuke approached the circle that had been drawn on the training _tatami_. He just had the impression his standard of life, that had always been pretty shitty, got even worse. And he had been an S-ranked criminal for God's sake. The biggest luxury back then was a shower every two days and a change of clothes now and then. People thought he had enjoyed wearing the same gay outfit for five years, huh?!

"Hey there, _teme_. Wanna dance?"

Other ANBU were already gathering around them and elbowing each other in suggestive manners. Besides the Hyūga who never mingled with the rest. The unit bet on Sasuke ninety-nine percent of the time and was never wrong to do so. But when it came to chakra-free _taijutsu_, he was the underdog. Standing in front of Naruto, no one sane could even imagine Sasuke had a chance. Naruto had a fucking head on him. Okay, a head and a half.

Presenting his fists to Naruto, Sasuke grimaced as the _dōbe_ bumped them with his own. Long gone was the time when Sasuke could give Naruto a whooping. He missed the good old days. Hell, he even missed their last battle two years ago when Sasuke had _almost_ killed him. It had been an enjoyable experience.

Uchiha, focus. The show was on. Sasuke barely avoided the punch that was coming his way. The only thing he had on Naruto was speed. Another punch was coming, aimed at his jaw, he stepped aside. Then hunched down as Naruto's leg almost made contact with his goddamn nose. Lord, he could kiss his pretty-boy looks goodbye if any part of Naruto's body made contact with his face.

"What's up, shorty, you scared I am gonna break something of yours?"

It was all in good jest. Naruto and Sasuke were tight and good. In fact, Naruto was his brother. His best friend. But …

There was only one way to get this over with. Without Sasuke losing the most important thing, and no, he wasn't referring to his nose. His pride. He would not fucking lose to the _dōbe_, even for the amusement of their dear _būchō_. Especially not for Kakashi's amusement.

As Naruto lunged at him, Sasuke stuck out a foot and whispered loud enough for the whole ANBU unit to hear:

"I am getting married."

As the _dōbe_'s blue eyes widened and he lost his focus, Sasuke swiftly stepped aside one last time and pulled his foot right under Naruto's. A black and orange blur went crashing outside the circle.

Have you ever seen a unit of deadly _shinobi_ with open mouths blankly staring at one spot? Sasuke hadn't either, up until that moment. Maybe losing a tooth or two would have been less awkward than being the spot that entire peanut gallery stared at. Well, at least the Hyūga weren't staring. Nah, they were shuffling their feet nervously. _That_ had been supposed to remain a secret till the last moment.

Naruto rolled around and sat up, shooting Sasuke a glare full of rage.

"Oy, _teme_, what the hell?! No fair. And since when do you pull such lame stints?! Getting married, pff."

Naruto expected a _tch_, or a _hn_ at least. But Sasuke simply looked down on him … almost sheepish?! Uchiha Sasuke, sheepish! Naruto had a pressure drop, feeling all his blood running from his head down to his … nah, not going there.

"Son of a bitch."

Kakashi cleared his throat, trying to recover from the shock. His smile had slipped from his face (not that anybody would know since he wore his goddamn mask all the time) and he needed a good sixty seconds to regain it. Whatever he said to his men (and women), Sasuke and Naruto didn't hear. They just kept on gaping at each other. Not even noticing the pair of horrified green eyes that wanted to join their little party.

The ANBU dispersed in a flurry. Konoha would know all about Sasuke's declaration by the end of the afternoon. And the idea of it made the Hyūga less than eager to go back to the compound. They too were in for it. Damning the day Uchiha Sasuke had passed the gates of the compound, they disappeared from the _dōjō_.

"Dude. Tell me this is a fucking joke."

The _dōbe_ started rubbing his head as if he was trying to scrub his brain raw. Nah, not his brain. You ever tried scrubbing a pea?! The only brain Naruto had any contact with on a daily basis remained behind with them and Sasuke did his best not to acknowledge her presence.

He didn't need any of Sakura's shit at the moment. Just by the way she was breathing he knew that if he gave her the least bit of attention, she would go full-blown thermonuclear hysterical. He didn't need that, honestly.

"Tch."

"_Tch_ fucking what?! _Tch_ this is BS or _Tch_ as in … _Tch_?!"

Sasuke rolled his eyes. He should have taken that punch like a man instead of pulling the wedding string.

"I am getting married."

A gasp from Sakura. Fuck, this shouldn't be happening this way. He noticed how Naruto, who didn't look at her either, responded to that gasp. Yeah, _dōbe_, Sasuke knew that was an ass-burner. Sakura was an ass-burner. But they both loved her. Maybe that was where the problem laid. To Naruto, she was a loved girlfriend. To Sasuke, she was a loved friend. But she sometimes seemed to forget who the friend and who the boyfriend was.

"Dude … _teme_. What the fuck?!"

Yeah, you know what?! Sasuke had had no idea that a way to render Naruto speechless was to tackle the matrimony subject. Had Sasuke only known that a few years ago. Had he only known.

Aw, come on. The _dōbe_ shouldn't have been using that look on Sasuke. He hated that beaten-dog look. Uzumaki Naruto was supposed to be jumping around, making a fool out of himself and screaming the place down. That look he was giving Sasuke was a huge turn off. Not that anything about Naruto was a turn on. Urgh.

The only thing Sasuke could do was offer his _brother_ a hand to stand up. As he held out his hand and Naruto grasped it, Sasuke felt like a piece of shit for not having told them. But he had had no other choice. He knew that had he done so, they would have found a way to dissuade him. And they would have been right.

Naruto walked over to Sakura and passed an arm around her shoulders. He leaned in and whispered something to her ear, pressing her to his chest under Sasuke's wary glance. This was going to get messy. It would have been easier to explain once it had been over. But now …

Naruto straightened up and sent Sasuke an insincere grin. There was nothing creepier than the _dōbe_ trying to pull off a fake smile.

"Honestly, I am fucking starving, so let's go to _Ichiraku's_. And you're not off the hook, _teme_."

By the way Sakura's shoulders shook, Sasuke could only imagine that he wouldn't be off the hook for a long while. Hey, at least they wouldn't know Hinata, right? Right?! He hoped to hell that to them she was nothing but an unknown face in a sea of unknown faces. She had been to war with them. She had graduated at the same time as they had, if he remembered well what had been written in her documentation. Oh, for fuck's sake! Why hadn't Sasuke thought of that?!

Well, because his dick had hijacked his brain. Not even. If at least he had had the excuse of having been charmed by Hyūga Hinata! Nah. And what if they asked him who she was?! Well, Sasuke would lie, wouldn't be the first time he'd done that in the past six months. A hefty tap on the back made him snap out of his dark thoughts.

"You ain't making the face of a man that will happily be walking down the aisle any time soon. Mind you, I get where you are coming from. What the hell happened, _teme_, you got some random chick pregnant? I told you to keep your sword sheathed, man. That manwhore act you had going on bit you in the ass."

Sakura didn't speak. She let the _dōbe_ lead the show, which didn't happen all that often. Her eyes were glued to the ground as they walked towards _Ichiraku's_. Should Sasuke have told her he was sorry? Sorry for what? Sorry for having decided to kick his celibacy in the balls and go off and marry _some random chick_ as Naruto had put it? He loved Sakura. Just not the right way, or at least the way she would have wanted. And she was happy with Naruto, she had said so herself. She had told Sasuke she was happy.

So why the fuck wouldn't she raise her head and look straight at him?! And why did Sasuke feel like a piece of shit?! This silence that was weighing on them felt strangely illicit. Did Naruto feel it? Yeah. Yeah, he did. If there was one thing the _dōbe_ wasn't all that daft about was Sakura. When it came to her, he grew a brain. Most probably out of his ass, but hey, it was Naruto.

Sasuke shot her a sideways glance. Naruto's heavy hand on her shoulder made her look much smaller and much more fragile than she really was. Naruto was tall and completely made of muscles. But Sakura had always been the one to lead all that power mass. She wore the pants in the couple. The Sakura Sasuke was seeing at the moment was in no state to bitch-slap Naruto any time soon.

"Tch."

"_Tch_ as in '_yeah, I unlawfully fucked the daimyō's daughter and am now stuck marrying her if I want my balls to remain attached to my body_' or _tch_ as in '_ok, I will pay you a bowl of rāmen, bro_'?"

Count on Naruto to bring everything back to his stomach. Rolling his eyes, Sasuke simply pushed the fabric falling over _Ichiraku's_ door aside and slipped in, followed by his little crew of misfits.

"_Ōji-chan_! I fucking missed you."

A knife came flying Naruto's way and he barely avoided it by stepping inside. The noise the knife made as it got stuck in the wooden post behind them got him to shiver. That was fucking close.

"Watch your language, you good-for-nothing."

Ah, nothing better than the love of a cook for his best customer. Another person Naruto was tight with. But the loudmouth simply pulled the knife out of the wood and cheekily walked towards the counter where Ichiraku was trying to put on a stern face. But as soon as Naruto was a foot away, the old man extended his hand. And instead of snatching his knife back, he ruffled Naruto's hair affectionately.

"You've grown again, haven't you? And where is your little lady? You brought her along?"

Craning his head around to see whether Sakura was anywhere, the old man's shrewd glance caught Sasuke's and at once he became grim. Yeah, Sasuke wasn't exactly welcome. Anywhere. And that was the reason he was stuck following Naruto and Sakura around. They were his passport wherever he went. He couldn't fucking go buy milk by himself unless he wanted for the whole supermarket to freak out.

Walking towards the counter, Sasuke took a seat right in front of Ichiraku, giving him the evil eye. That game, he could play as well. No old shit would make Sasuke feel out of place. Uhm, come again?! What about the Hyūga Elders?! Fuck him. He was good for a shot in the head, when the only thing he could think about was the Hyūga Clan.

Sakura parked her butt on the other stool by Naruto's side and shot a sweet, yet insincere smile at Ichiraku. He had a soft spot for her and treated her like gold. She was after all the only woman that could bear his good-for-nothing of a customer. Who was like a son to him. She was doing her best to keep appearances as not to worry the old man. Whenever she was too calm, he got anxious Naruto and her were about to end it. And honestly, there was no chance she would ever end it with Naruto.

She knew he was the perfect man for her. She was happy with him. He was careful. And romantic. Yes, Uzumaki Naruto who was as dense as a brick had a knack for romance. And he listened to her. Whenever she had something to say, he listened. Carefully. He understood too. Trying to manage ANBU and mednin shifts simultaneously or almost was often getting the best of her. But he was always there to shoulder her. He was the perfect boyfriend.

Sure, he had his fallouts. Sure, they had their dark moments. She sometimes screamed at him. He sometimes screamed back. But they always found a way. And she felt like a bitch for feeling the way she did. For feeling cheated. Feeling cheated was cheating on Naruto, right? Yeah. Yeah, it was. And she knew it. And he knew it too. They knew it.

Both Naruto and Sasuke had felt it, hadn't they? The way she had frozen. They had felt her hesitation and her own inability to put a name on her emotions. Sasuke was getting married. It was fucked up. So damn fucked up. Not only because he was just nineteen going on twenty. Not only because he hadn't told them a word about it. But mostly because it was Sasuke. Sasuke wasn't supposed to get married. He was supposed to remain Sasuke. Forever. Unchanging, unyielding. Just Sasuke. Gosh, she felt selfish.

A soft nudge to her face. Naruto's nose caressing her cheek before he softly pressed his lips against it. Another thing Naruto was not a stranger to was being affectionate in public. He didn't mind it. When she wanted to show off in front of girls that shot him glances of carnal appreciation, he would always lean towards her, kiss her, nuzzle her. When she didn't want as much as him touching a strand of her hair, he kept away.

And yet, it was Sasuke her eyes were always searching when she found herself in the middle of that mass of ANBU _shinobi_.

"Yo there, birdy."

Akimichi Chōji appeared out of nowhere to make them all snap out of their thoughts. Clapping Naruto on the shoulder, he sent Sasuke a saucy look.

"Birdy? The fuck?" Naruto slurped through his _rāmen_.

"Yeah, I am worried you are going to give us a flying lesson. Like during the training."

Naruto just turned around and stared at Chōji. _Dude, fuck off_. The message was clear enough, but their chubby comrade didn't feel very threatened and just bit down on his lower lip not to start howling at Naruto's offended glare.

Sitting by Sakura, he nudged her playfully and greeted Ichiraku, before leaning onto the counter and insistently staring at Sasuke past Naruto's bowl. Urgh. Akimichi Chōji was a certain someone's best friend. And that certain someone had rubbed off on him. No, not in that way, geez. Ever heard of a lovely lady going by the name of Yamanaka Ino? Well, be sure of one thing, she has heard of you. In fact, chances were she knew everything about you.

"So, Uchiha. It's been forty-five minutes. How does it feel to know that the whole village is aware you are set to get leashed up to one pus– I mean lady, for the rest of your life, huh?"

Sasuke should have taken a few of Naruto uppercuts. They would have been less painful than this. And look at Ichiraku jaw-dropping. Come on, old man, close that mouth of yours, you're going to end up swallowing a fly.

"But a question remains. Who is the lucky lady?"

Everyone froze at once. That had been forgotten. There had been something along the lines of a tacit agreement between Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura that they would take it easy and that Sasuke would gradually spill the beans. In fact, Naruto had been planning on dragging him off to their apartment, buying some goddamn beer and getting drunk with his girlfriend and best friend. And spend the night most probably bawling his eyes out at Sasuke's sob story.

But here you had Akimichi Chōji appearing out of thin air to fuck some shit up. Honestly, the poor guy was seeing too much of Yamanaka Ino.

"I think I can answer that question."

Speaking of the devil. What was this, a fucking class reunion?! Sasuke started rubbing his eyes. Shooting Ichiraku a desperate look, he realized there wouldn't be much help to expect from the _senior citizen_ category. The guy still hadn't closed his mouth, for fuck's sake. Do not turn around and look at Ino. Do not. Sasuke …

Oh, for fuck's sake. He had to turn around. Plus, Ino was not bad to look at. Especially when she had her boy-toy with her. Which was the case, praised be the Lord. When Yamanaka Ino carried Sai around like a fashion accessory, men knew they could check her out without a danger. 'Cause the danger didn't come from Sai, it came from Ino herself. If she saw you checking her out, she might take it for an invitation.

But damn, she was hot. Hands-down gorgeous. In a somewhat vulgar, flashy, look-at-me kind of way. Sasuke liked to look. He wouldn't have touched if she had paid him though. And God did that tortured, sad and dead look Sai shot him make him happy of not being in his place. Honestly, the way Naruto almost worshipped the ground Sakura walked on was just as pathetic to Sasuke. Out of all of them, Chōji was the happiest. He didn't get any tail, sure. But he wasn't interested either.

"Ino, babe, don't be such a fucking prick-tease. Just spill the shit."

So much class, Naruto. Way to go. Even Inuzuka Kiba sounded like a gentleman compared to that. Sai just sighed. Ino rolled her eyes. Sakura slapped her forehead. Chōji snorted. Sasuke just stared. He didn't plead. He would not fucking plead with Yamanaka Ino to keep her mouth shut. He would just beg to the Heavens that she did. But come on, he knew her. Everyone knew her.

"You want to know, don't you?"

God did those blue eyes make everyone's balls shrivel. Besides Sakura's. 'Cause she didn't have any. Yes, Ino, they wanted to know.

"Ino," Chōji warned.

If her best buddy for life didn't get her to open her trap no one would. Got all the guys wondering how Sai could live with her on a daily basis. But then again, there were rumors. According to their neighbours, since the poor guy moved in with her, she had other good sides. Very good sides a man like Sai could appreciate.

"Okay, okay!"

Count on Ino to get all excited about dishing some dirt. She started pushing her long blond hair behind her ears, flashing her electric blue eyes about to make sure everyone was listening. Sasuke especially. This was a dominance act, wasn't it? She had Sasuke's balls in her claws and would squeeze hard. The dream of her life, or something along those lines.

"So … the lucky lady is …"

Did the whole fucking restaurant just stop breathing or was it Sasuke's imagination?

"A Hyūga."

Naruto just pricked his eye with the chopsticks he was holding. For fuck's sake, dude, don't you know where your own mouth is?! It had all to do with having a pea for a brain. And he didn't even realise he had almost scooped his eye out. That's how stunned he was. Ino was wallowing in her triumph. Sai was just trying to escape in his imaginary world.

The rest of them pretty much thought the same thing.

'_Son of a bitch._'

And then Naruto broke the charm by bursting out laughing. And spluttering _rāmen_ all over the counter. A little pig snort here and there and a wipe of his finger under his now red eye.

"Right. A Hyūga. Ino, did you ever see any of those girls?"

There he stopped and traced a Hyūga woman's curves with his hands under Sakura's threatening glare. One thing you could not do was shut Naruto up when he was amused like hell. Not even Sakura couldn't pull that off.

"Like, honestly, what would a Hyūga girl do with him?! Fucking look at him. He looks like a stray cat, man. Those girls aren't like your average _kunoichi_. They are classy."

Sasuke would beg to differ. His _fiancée_ was classy, alright. That he could acknowledge. But the girls they rubbed shoulders with in the ANBU and the Hyūga heiress were more on the rough-around-the-edges spectrum of femininity.

Sakura slammed her hand onto counter, got right into Naruto's face and hissed under her breath:

"Yeah. We are aware that you know all about Hyūga girls."

With those last words, and under Ichiraku's panicked glance, she slid off the stool and went towards Sai that had disappeared to seat himself at a boot and sketch something. No one had even noticed that he had left their little meeting. But he did look very pained to see her start a conversation with him.

"Trouble in the seventh circle of hell," Chōji whistled, obviously ecstatic at so much dirt being dished in one afternoon.

Naruto just passed his hand over his face, rubbing the bridge of his nose. However, everyone (besides Sasuke who was completely clueless in that department) did notice the sadness in his eyes. Hyūga girls and him. Went way back. But that was a subject no one was willing to touch with a stick and he was doing his best to sweep the name of a particular Hyūga girl under the rug. No one needed a thermonuclear Sakura. And that girl deserved some peace, too. At least according to Ino. If there was one person that had ever been immune to Yamanaka Ino's dangerous tongue (and it had nothing to do with French kissing), it was that particular Hyūga.

"Naruto. You can say whatever you want but mister here has been traipsing in and out of the Hyūga compound. I know so because that messenger _shinobi_ of the Nara Clan that transmits info between the Nara and the _Hōkage_ Tower told an Akimichi _jōnin_ that Nara Shikaku had seen Sasuke going to the Hyūga compound _unaccompanied_. The Akimichi _jōnin_ told one of our guards who told my old man. You don't go unaccompanied to the Hyūga unless you are a regular, duh!"

Naruto was barely listening at that point, his eyes glued to Sakura who was torturing poor Sai with small talk. Naruto wouldn't see the end of that shit any time soon, would he? Urgh, why did he have to forget that speaking of hot chicks was something you never did in front of your girlfriend?!

But come on, Sakura was the hottest girl on a one kilometer radius … as long as no Hyūga walked her rack out of the compound. Or as long as Ino didn't appear out of thin air. Naruto didn't have a thing for Yamanaka Ino though, that was for sure. Well, ok. He didn't mind taking a look from time to time. But he wouldn't have touched if she had paid him.

"A Hyūga," Naruto whispered under his breath.

**x.x.x.**

"The village cannot go on with the _Hōkage_ Tower manipulating the news and public information as it damn well pleases. The citizens are being lied to on an everyday basis by the very people they elected to protect them–"

"Inuzuka-san, as you said, the duty of the government is to protect the people. And sometimes doing so means–"

"Going against the constitution of _Hi no Kuni_, that stipulates that the government shall be transparent about its actions and its plans!"

"This, Inuzuka-san, may apply to _Hi no Kuni_; however Konoha does have a privileged position in the country."

"A privileged position that permits for a democratically elected government to change the laws without a vote in the Chamber of Representatives, without a referendum, without even consulting the Clan Counsel. Let me tell you something, Akimichi-san. The village is being ruled like a private club at the moment. Or is it that I am the only one that hasn't been informed about these changes?! Looking at all your faces, I'd say that's more than a possibility. Whom can the Inuzuka Clan thank for the prejudice?"

At those last words, her big, dark eyes met his. And he did his best to force himself to scowl. Yet, when he looked at her, when he saw how she held her own against this bunch of decrepit old men, of which he was part himself, he could not hinder admiration from swelling in his bosom.

This was a leader, a true leader. She was still young, she was still learning. However, there was something strong, hard, a kernel of iron will that made Inuzuka Hana a worthy opponent. And a future ruler that would most probably make things difficult for them all.

He could not believe how a clan as mediocre as the Inuzuka could give for so much character. Then again, he knew it had nothing to do with the Inuzuka. Inuzuka Hana, the interim representative of the Inuzuka to the Clan Counsel, had nothing to connect her to those failures that the Inuzuka were besides her family name. She was more, much more.

The rage he was seeing in her pupil-less, brown eyes was a very personal type of reproach. It wasn't about the Clan Counsel's prejudices against the Inuzuka. It was about the Hyūga Clan's prejudices, about _his_ prejudices. She never shied away from provokingly holding his stare, from challenging him. Hana did her best to incite him to say something he should not. And when he did not fulfill her expectations, she changed her aim. And so she would do this time.

Indeed, as Hyūga Hiashi showed no reaction at her pique, she bristled and turned her eyes towards a new prey.

"The new law Konoha has passed concerning Oto is not only inhumane, it is dangerous. Transforming Oto into a political protectorate is the equivalent of robbing those people of their right to self-determination. Konoha proclaimed how it wanted to liberate them from dictatorship and what does it do? Instead of permitting them to organize their own elections, it hijacks them! It installs the equivalent of a military junta under the pretense of it being a democratically elected government. Please! What citizen of Oto would have elected a man educated in Kiri, that has emigrated when he was nothing but a small child?! Is it me or is Konoha doing everything to exacerbate the enmity the _Front for the Liberation of Oto_ feels towards _Hi no Kuni_?! Maybe the Secretary of Defense feels he doesn't have enough work as it is and wants to make sure there will always be terrorists to hunt down?"

How many times had Kakashi told himself he needed to punch Inuzuka Hana at least once in his life? Numerous times. Maybe was this the moment to indulge? She was always ready to experiment when they were together, after all. Fuck you, Inuzuka Hana. She had this way of humiliating or attacking him in the middle of those fucking Clan Counsels he was stuck attending. Stuck attending because Tsunade felt she had better things to do.

"Or maybe is it that the ANBU have taken a liking to politics? It wouldn't be the first time they start a war just to have a job. I wonder why the ANBU-_būchō_ never joins our little tea parties. But I am quite sure that Hatake-san will be kind enough to inform him about everything that is being said. Won't you, Hatake-san?"

The domineering smirk she shot him got him to widen his smile under the mask that hid the lower part of his face. Oh, Hana. What have you done to yourself? He remembered her at age eighteen. The geeky, soft and shy Hana that spent her days reading and learning. She had fascinated him back then. She had had nothing of an Inuzuka. Her canines were definitely smaller and not half as sharp; her hair was not bushy, but silky and shiny. She had never screamed, jumped all around the place or been obnoxious.

No. She had been the type to discuss, to express her ideas softly, calmly, rationally. But nothing was left of that girl. She had become a predator, a cold, instinctual killer that had no qualms in shaking shit up. A desperate wolf whose paw was stuck in a painful trap and who debated whether he should bite it off or not. But that was a destiny common to all Inuzuka, wasn't it? They had to battle every day of their lives to receive only a fraction of what others took for granted. Such as respect, recognition, fundamental human rights.

She was still an intellectual though, that had not changed. In fact, she had never been more educated than at age twenty-four. More well-read and informed. Her quick, big eyes were always shrewdly examining the faces of all the leaders during the Clan Counsel meetings. She had a very careful and diplomatic way of bringing up certain subjects to test the water. When she smelled the air around her changing or a leader hesitate, she knew she had hit the jackpot. Diplomacy was thrown out of the window and Hana went in for the kill. And sometimes, she went against Kakashi too. She liked to connect the ANBU-_būchō_ to him whenever she got a chance, attracting too much attention on the both of them. But that was part of despair. No one wanted to go to hell by his lonesome self and Hana was more than willing to pull Kakashi down with her.

After the war, he had gotten the immense honor of being reinstated as ANBU-_būchō_, not that he had desired it. But who the fuck asked his opinion when it came to his own miserable existence?! Not Tsunade, surely. And just to add to the joy of his everyday life, she also named him Secretary of Defense.

For fuck's sake. Tsunade had just slammed the nomination onto his forehead. Not asking whether he could manage two full-time jobs at the same time. Not caring about the obvious conflict of interest. And expecting for him to keep his appointment as captain of the elite forces a fucking secret. Easier said than done.

It was around that time that Hana and he had started their illicit affair. She had become the interim representative of the Inuzuka after what had happened to her mother and they had started seeing more of each other. In fact, she had started harassing him, demanding documentation to be disclosed, threatening him of doing some public divulgation herself if she didn't get what she wanted.

And come on, what man could resist a then twenty-two year old girl that slammed her hands flat on his working table and leaned in, giving him a good look at her generous cleavage?! Kakashi had not even tried to fight the feeling. She was younger than him. A fantasy. And fantasies were meant to be realized according to him. He hadn't let morals come between his dick and her.

Oh come on, who was he kidding?! It had had nothing to do with his fucking dick. He just had to pull his head out of his ass and acknowledge he had wanted more with her. And still did, as the pussy that he was. This was not an orgasm or post-coital bliss talking, this was his fucking brain. And now, he was paying the price for being such a fag. Memo to himself, castration was the only solution in certain extreme cases. And Hana was more than extreme, she was pure propane. Think about it, big boy, _castration_.

Kakashi had also been naïve to believe that Inuzuka Hana's nose would not be able to draw the parallel between the Secretary of Defense and the ANBU-_būchō_. He hadn't even thought about it. What man would have been able to jumpstart his brain with Inuzuka Hana's mouth wrapped around him?! Not Kakashi, obviously.

Hana's eyes brushed over him dismissively. Her voice that had thundered through the room became much gentler as she examined each and every Clan leader. She had them where she wanted them. She would give them the final blow.

"The truth is the following. Konoha, by placing that man as head of Oto, has insured the privatization of nationally-owned institutions. The Akimichi Clan has become the majority stock-holder of _Oto Food Products inc._ which had been owned by the Ministry of Agriculture. The Nara Clan has bought seventy-percent of Oto's forests to keep the paper and pulp industry of Konoha going. Which is already wholly and completely under its control. The Yamanaka have taken over the copper and aluminium mines. And the Hyūga … The Hyūga have indulged the most. The energy industry and weapon exports. It amazes me to think that not only do the Hyūga virtually own all of Kirigakure's off-shore oil and gas drilling facilities, but that they have taken over Oto's shale gas sector. As for the weapons, I don't even have to mention it, it speaks for itself."

Aburame Shibi that always placed himself by Inuzuka Hana, as he had back in the days by Inuzuka Tsume, did his best not to start laughing. He was not a very expressive man nor did he really appreciate being the leader of a Konoha clan. However, standing beside an Inuzuka woman while she took her sweet time to emasculate fifty-year old geezers was a treat he would have not given up for all of Oto's shale gas. And he had to admit that always remaining close to her had a certain advantage.

He had the possibility to examine Hyūga Hiashi to his heart's content. Often Aburame Shibi wondered whether the Hyūga realized how evident it was. And Shibi wasn't the only one to have noticed it. Nara Shikaku had the bad taste of commenting on it whenever Inuzuka Hana found a way to fuck him over personally. Which she did whenever she had the chance to. Nara Shikaku was her favorite prey, after Hyūga Hiashi, that is. But the leader of the greatest clan of all times did not mind one bit when that very young girl sharpened her claws on him.

No, the Aburame was quite sure that piece of shit Hiashi was enjoying himself very much. In fact, if only Inuzuka Hana took an instant to consider Hiashi as a man and not an enemy, she would realize that she could most probably wrap him around her little finger. And do to the stern Hyūga Hiashi what she did to Hatake Kakashi. She could bring him to his knees. If only she could appreciate the power a girl of twenty-four could have over a man of fifty.

Because Hyūga Hiashi could be nothing but smitten with Inuzuka Hana. Shibi had noticed how the Hyūga's expressionless eyes became cloudy whenever she met them. How Hiashi followed her every movement and how every muscle in his body contracted whenever Hana condescended to lean close to Shibi and whisper something to his ear.

And Shibi was adamant about one thing. If the Aburame Clan could profit from Inuzuka Hana giving some to Hyūga Hiashi, who after all was the leader of the most powerful clan of the world at the moment, Shibi would hunt her down and serve her, feet and hands attached, to Hiashi himself. With an apple in the mouth, if necessary. However, he hoped it would not come to that. The leader of the Aburame Clan had been close to Tsume and had used his influence over her in more than one instance. He was quite sure he could do the same with her daughter. But Inuzuka Hana's intellectual abilities were not to be taken lightly. He had to admit that she was much cannier than her dear _ōka-san_.

Nara Shikaku clicked his tongue in disgust. He fucking hated anything that had to do with the Inuzuka. They were more than troublesome. They were a godforsaken pain in the ass. And his Akimichi and Yamanaka allies would side with him on the subject. Plus, that bitch had Aburame Shibi to guide her. Just like her mother. That asshole never opened his mouth and certainly never took sides. He sat on two chairs at the same time and never compromised his position of _neutrality_. Bullshit. Shikaku was quite sure he was the one to steer the Inuzuka representative the wrong way. Which led to her making a fucking mess out of the situation. Fucking bitch with _principles_, or whatever they were called. Women made everything more troublesome, especially politics.

"The meeting is adjourned," he proclaimed.

They would need some time alone. Chōza, Inoichi and himself were always stuck cushioning the fall. Whose fall?! The Hyūga Clan's. The agreement was pretty clear between the smaller clans and the Hyūga. The Hyūga owned the country, not only the village. In fact, they most probably had a death grip on the balls of any other country around besides maybe _Kaze no Kuni_. They let the Akimichi, Nara and Yamanaka pass behind and collect the crumbles here and there. When they felt generous. And in exchange, the three clans made sure Hyūga plans and schemes were not disturbed by the likes of Inuzuka Hana or Aburame Shibi.

"Adjourned," she laughed, "Nara-san, you should have told me you needed more time to prepare yourself for me; I would have been more than willing to push back the meeting. I am of a compliant nature, you already know as much."

Directing her insolent glance to Kakashi, she kicked her chin up, examining him through her eyelashes and smiling softly at him. However, even if her smile was soft and momentarily reminded him of the young girl that had cared for his pack of _ninken_ six years ago, there was something provocative in the way her pearl-white teeth glistened in the light of the conference room.

"Hatake-san, I would appreciate all the documentation concerning Oto to be on my desk by tomorrow, ten a.m. I am quite sure you will be so good as to make sure all the information is accurate. For once. If I do not have it by tomorrow, I will feel forced to – I do not need to repeat myself, you already know us Inuzuka well enough to be aware of what we can do when we feel slighted."

With those last words, she curtly bowed her head to the old fuckers that made her everyday life a living hell. Turning around, Hana snapped her fingers at her copyist, a tall, muscled Inuzuka _shinobi_ that towered over all the men in the room and loomed above her like a threatening shadow. But the threat wasn't directed her way, that was for sure. He faithfully followed her as she sashayed towards the door of the room and disappeared into the hallway.

Since Hyūga Hiashi preferred not to be stuck discussing Inuzuka Hana with the rest of the Konoha clan leaders, he took his leave in a similar fashion. Just that his secretary was so old and curbed that he was planning on replacing him sooner rather than later. As he made his way out of the room, Nara Shikaku shot his back an impertinent glance, a bitter smile etched on his thin lips.

"Hiashi is following his _mistress_ like the good doggy he is. I hope he doesn't need too much _Viagra_ to wag his tail at her. That troublesome bitch seems like a wild one."

"Well, if she ever feels _slighted_ again, I am more than willing to oblige and give her something big to finally shut her up."

Count on Yamanaka Inoichi to be as vulgar as his charming daughter. Just that his daughter had been raised in a more open-minded era. In other words, she wouldn't have been opposed to getting into Inuzuka Kiba's pants. And if that meant sucking up to the big sis', Ino would have done so by kicking her own father in the balls. Had Inoichi known as much, he would have been very chagrined.

Kakashi stiffened. He would never get used to this bunch of old assholes making disgusting comments about Hana. He had never seen so much concentrated prejudice and stupidity in one place. And these were the men that ruled the village. Hana had been right; Konoha was run like a private club. For fuck's sake. Was this what Konoha stood for?! They looked down on an official representative of one of the most populous clans in the world because she was an attractive female and a _native_?!

It took all of Kakashi's self-control not to activate his _Sharingan_ and go after the Yamanaka. However, as the older men turned their eyes to him, exchanged a few sugary-sweet pleasantries and shot him their insincere smiles, he simply bowed his head, remaining as smiley as usual. He was in for it, wasn't he? They obviously wanted him to disappear from the place so they could dish some dirt about him too. _Heh_. They forgot they were in the _Hōkage_ Tower. This was his kingdom. And fortunately, unlike Inuzuka Hana, they had no idea he was the ANBU-_būchō_.

His smile widened at the idea of placing one of his _shinobi_ in the middle of the room without them even realizing. And truth being said, Kakashi wanted to get some insider info on something he had noticed as well. Hyūga Hiashi and Inuzuka Hana? Impossible. And yet, the way the two of them did everything they could to attract each other's attention …

Hatake Kakashi was not a jealous man. He would not demand for an ANBU to sneak into the conference room because he feared Inuzuka Hana was slipping through his fingers. He would do so just because he was the Secretary of Defense and the ANBU-_būchō_. It was his duty to know everything that happened in the country. No, in the world. And he almost believed his BS. Who was he kidding?! He preferred to see Hana killed, potentially by his own hand, than fucked by an old piece of shit such as Hyūga Hiashi.

By nature, Hatake Kakashi was not a jealous man. Or possessive. However, Hana had a way to make him come in contact with his inner-psycho. A connection he would have preferred to avoid at all cost but that he could not fight once established. No wonder ancient wisdom maintained that a woman could lead a whole country to war. And it had nothing to do with her being a general.

At the very moment Kakashi was pondering upon his newfound personality disorder (by day Secretary of Defense, by night ANBU-_būchō_, and jealous, possessive, obsessive asshole during Clan Counsel meetings), Hana made her way towards the Inuzuka compound. Oblivious to the fact that her dangerous games of power were torturing two men two insanity at the moment. Two men that had nothing in common but an alarming and perturbing obsession with her. Had she known, she might have taken a step back to examine what was at stake. However Hana, as most Inuzuka, went _big_ or went _home_.

Walking through the heavy, rusted gates of the Inuzuka compound, her copyist and herself parted on a few orders. He had hidden a _spy-bug_ on him somewhere, a new _Made in Suna_ tech gadget very popular with dissidents, and would spend the evening transcribing everything that had been said during the meeting. It was tough work to keep the daughter of the Clan leader satisfied. She was harsh towards herself and optimally productive (in other words her sleep to work ration was very low). And expected for all her collaborators to be the same.

As her copyist made his way towards the Inuzuka Hall, Hana turned to the right and did her best to wipe away her bad mood and plaster a smile over her thin lips. After each meeting, she had taken the habit of demanding to be received by her _ōka-san_ and talking through the events of the day. There were two sides to Inuzuka Tsume, the defunct yet very present leader of the Inuzuka Clan. There was the overbearing, slightly tyrannical mother and the overbearing, very tyrannical Clan leader. And Hana had the pleasure of having to deal with both at the same time whenever she came back from a Clan Counsel meeting.

However, the young girl felt strangely weary that evening. Usually, those meetings enraged her to the point she felt invigorated and always welcomed her _Haimaru Sankyōdai_'s attempts at wrestling her to the floor. But this was not one of those moments. This was one of those _fuck-my-life_ and _I-want-to-get-off-this-rollercoaster_ type of moments. She headed towards the Inuzuka mansion (hah, mansion, good one) with the goal of begging for some affection. Affection from her mother that was known to be as loyal as a dog to her kin but certainly not very demonstrative. Hana had always had a way to make her come around though.

There was no such thing as servants in the Inuzuka compound. People were free to go work and take up whatever job they damn well pleased. Some were civilians, some were _shinobi_. There was no such thing as discrimination in their big family. As long as you brought back a salary that helped the Clan pay off the usual debts, you were considered a hero. That was the reason Hana did not meet up with any annoyingly-servile people as she entered the average-sized, average-looking house that was called the Inuzuka mansion. It was nothing but _ōto-san_'s old barn, as he had called it back in the days. _Ōto-san_. How Hana missed him. She had been only ten when he had … disappeared. Yes, that was it. He had disappeared. He had only left. But she knew it wasn't only that. She was afraid to ask. To discover the truth behind his desertion.

It was most probably because of her though.

A knot settled in her throat. She better not start with that shit now. Her mother would sense it. In fact, she had most probably already identified Hana's mood from the moment she had stepped through the gates of the compound. There wasn't much you could hide in the Inuzuka compound. Having the best senses in the world made it easy to determine in advance what was coming your way.

Hana for example could tell before even reaching the hallway that her mother was in the office and that she was nervously leafing through some papers. The smell of anxiety, processed wood and ink reached her nose. The best nose of the Inuzuka Clan. Hana didn't go to the trouble of heading towards her room and get a change of clothes. She didn't need one. She had decided to go against decency and had just thrown on some sweatpants before heading to the meeting. Her _yukata_ and _geta_ could go to hell when it was the middle of spring. She had better things to do than freeze her ovaries to death. And her more than casual look would be good enough for Tsume.

Turning around a corner, she stopped in front of a _shōji_. Tsume's office. Her mother obviously didn't stop with her work because of Hana's presence and would not call her in unless Hana demanded to be received. That was Tsume's way of showing respect. She felt that Hana was still hesitant and knew exactly the sentiments that were ailing her. If her daughter decided to give up and just turn around, Tsume would do as if Hana had never come so far. But Hana was not a scaredy-cat (especially not a cat, for crying out loud).

Grating softly at the _shōji_, she let her soft and respectful voice seep through the thin rice paper of the sliding door.

"Kaa-san? Can I come in?"

On the other side of the _shōji_, Inuzuka Tsume dropped the pen she had been trying to desperately use with her stiff fingers while what was left of her left arm kept some pages from flipping over. She deserved a fucking break. And her rheumatisms were killing her. She was nothing but forty-two years old for fuck's sake. And there was nothing left of her but a soulless husk of flesh. Hana did not need an answer, as soon as she heard the pen being dropped on the hard wood of her mother's low table; she knew she was welcome to enter. Tsume expected her to enter.

Sliding the _shōji_ aside, Hana took in the saddest scene she had ever been given to witness. _Ōka-san_. Her strong, her feral mother. The woman that had taken a five-year old Hana to war with her, nineteen years ago, and that had said that if she were to die, her daughter would follow her. The leader; no, the mother of the Inuzuka Clan. Or what was left of her. The Fourth Great _Shinobi_ war had taken a horrible toll on the leading family of the Inuzuka Clan. Hana was the only one that had come intact out of it. At least, so it seemed on the surface.

Her courageous mother that had faced more than one dangerous opponent since the age of eleven had lost her left hand, her right foot, had seen her scalp and part of her face burned. And she would have survived and come back with more fire than ever had she not sustained the worst blow to any Inuzuka. _Kuromaru_. Her partner, her brother. Her friend and companion. In an attempt to save _his_ Tsume, he had lost more than an eye this time. He had lost his life, robbing Tsume of a reason to move on and believe. An Inuzuka without his dog was like a ship without a crew. Nothing but an empty vessel. And Hana's heart constricted at the idea that her mother and her younger brother shared a common agony while she lived on. Oh, how unfair the life in Konoha could be. Why had she, who should have been the first to sustain such a shock, been the only one permitted to live on?!

Would it always be said that the Inuzuka would suffer while the Hyūga triumphed?! Rage sank to the pit of her stomach, a heavy mass that made her wonder whether she would not vomit bile all over the office's _tatami_. No, Hana could not let herself think that way. She was not Hyūga. She was Inuzuka.

She. Was. Not. _Hyūga_.

Flicking her right wrist, Tsume growled in displeasure and shot her daughter a mocking glance. But it was herself she was mocking as the bones in the joint cracked.

"I feel like I have become a human barometer, with a thermometer shoved up my keister. Can ya imagine that whenever there is the slightest change in temperature or atmospheric pressure, I start cracking like dry wood!"

Her emaciated smile could have fooled someone else, but Hana knew better. Those dark, narrow slits in the middle of her eyes did not shine with that sardonic mirth that had been her trademark back before the war. Hana almost let a wail escape her. Tears were already welling up in her eyes. Inuzuka did not cry. But Hana had always been a horrible exception, a curiosity. An outlying value. Why was it not her that had lost a hand and a foot? Why her mother who had always been a good woman?! Harsh, but just. Provoking and unyielding, but loyal and righteous. As Tsume examined her daughter, she wanted to howl in anger. It was unfair that Hana, her little Hana, the baby she had born in her bosom with so much love and stubborn hope, would have to live the life Inuzuka Tsume had led at the same age.

There was an important difference though. Tsume had chosen that path. She had chosen to sacrifice everything to build what was now called the Inuzuka Clan. A mishmash of native tribes that united under one emblem and name as to finally escape their subordinate position in the village. The Inuzuka Clan was her artificial creation. A child she had wanted with every fiber of her body.

And to Tsume, Hana embodied what the Inuzuka Clan stood for. Acceptance, respect, loyalty. Tsume had been nothing but eighteen, when very much pregnant, she had stepped for the first time into the conference room of the _Hōkage_ Tower. She could still feel the _Sandaime_'s heavy hand on her trembling shoulder and his deep voice presenting her as the leader of the Inuzuka Clan.

The Clan leaders had walked out on her. They had just turned around and walked out. Beside Aburame Shibi, then a young man and reluctant leader that would have preferred to be running wild on an S-ranked. She had spent twenty-two years of her life wrestling with those leaders and their heirs that now led the village.

And Hana had made it just more difficult. Hana had been at the center of the polemic. The Hyūga had tried to break Tsume's back using her. How many times had Tsume thought about killing her baby?! Out of love. To save her. No one could understand a wild animal's pain as it decides to cut short its progeny's lifeline. But Kenshi had been there. Her husband, Kiba's father. Hana's beloved _ōto-san_. He had always found a way to make Tsume see the light at the end of the tunnel.

And then? Then she had killed him. Following Hyūga orders.

Hana was the incarnation of all the blood and tears Tsume had shed. Hana was the symbol of all the sacrifices Tsume had made to revive the greatness of the Native Tribes in the form of the Inuzuka Clan.

And she was the last thing that remained of _him_. Of that other one. Of the one Tsume had loved with a passion close to hatred. Of the one that had sealed her heart forever. Whenever she thought about _him_, she remembered Kenshi's reproachful glare, burning with accusation. Tsume, who had never been beautiful or elegant, who had been wild and free, had held two hearts in her _claws_. And she had crushed both. For the Inuzuka Clan. For Hana. A _Queen of Hearts_ that had made light of the feelings of two men, of two warriors.

The air around them changed and the smell of sorrow intensified. Her mother was suffering. The same thoughts were plaguing her. Softly, carefully, Hana approached the low table and placed herself by her mother's side. Falling on her knees, she simply set her head on Tsume's lap. So she had often done as a child, after having seen Kuromaru act in a similar way. She had loved the way Tsume would pass her rough, calloused fingers through her hair, caress her cheeks and call her her puppy. She had never been a very affectionate mother and those moments had been rare. However, their rarity had made them only more precious. And Hana had done her best to offer Kiba the same solace. She had called him her puppy as well. She had caressed his cheeks and passed her soft fingers through his dry, broken hair. As an excuse for having robbed him of a mother and father.

Instinctually, Tsume's broken and crooked right hand settled on her daughter's head. How Hana felt heavy in her nap. Just yesterday she had been nothing but a toddler and now she was twenty-four years old and expected to lead the Clan to greatness. That beautiful head of hers, as far from anything Inuzuka as … _Hyūga Hiashi_, was full of all the pain and rage that came with the position of Inuzuka leader. However, if Tsume could find a way to dissuade her oldest child from officially taking the title up, she would do it. Hana had given enough. She had suffered enough and Tsume would not see her of all people sacrifice herself. She wanted Hana to stop with all her schemes and finally let herself live, love and cry.

"Kaa-san …" Hana's voice broke. She cleared her throat. Once. Twice. "Kaa-san … am I an Inuzuka?"

That old question. One that Tsume had tried to answer as well as she could years during. One that had made her heart heavy with guilt and fury. She did not know the answer. In battle, Hana was an Inuzuka. She let wilderness overtake her, and the feral wolf in her howled at the moon. They were after all descendent of the _Ōkami_ tribe and even if they had taken up the Inuzuka name as a show of unity to the other native families and abandoned the training of wolves centuries ago, blood still ran deeper than water.

However in times of peace … Hana was something else. She was an intellectual, something that not many Inuzuka could call themselves. Hell, Tsume was considered as the most brilliant Inuzuka that had ever walked their native land, all tribes confounded. That just went to tell you how scholarly the bunch of them was.

What was a mother supposed to tell her child in such an occasion? Was Tsume supposed to lie? She had lied before on that very subject. Was she supposed to say the truth? She had told the truth as well. However, the question always came back. Year after year. Arrested development. As strong and educated as Hana appeared, she still kept that insecure ten-year old girl hidden deep inside. The same girl that, after having been offered to be promoted to _jōnin_ at the tender age of ten, still needed to sneak into her parents' room and snuggle between Kenshi and Tsume. Before the Kenshi-Tsume dynamic had gone to hell, that is.

For maybe the first time of her life, after so many years, after having answered that question in so many divergent ways, Inuzuka Tsume was at loss for words. The head under her fingers shifted and as she lowered her eyes to her lap, Hana's gaze captured them. Placid, bottomless dark eyes. Not Inuzuka eyes. Those eyes, so big and hazy, fascinating and deceptive were not Inuzuka eyes. Such eyes had always captivated Inuzuka Tsume. Just that _his_ eyes had been pale, milky.

Eyes of ice and fire.

There had been no one in the world that had been as spellbound by Hyūga eyes as Inuzuka Tsume. When the world had mocked them and scorned them, she had loved and hated them. Yet, hatred was stronger than love could ever be. And after almost three decades, she still felt that burning numbness at the base of her throat whenever she remembered how cruel Hyūga eyes were in their beauty.

Hana's however were not Hyūga. They were not Inuzuka, true. But they would never be Hyūga. As Hana's pleading eyes shone with unshed tears, Tsume knew what to say. And this time the answer would be final. Inuzuka Hana, with her iron will, her fierceness in dire times and her stubborn need to prove the world her worth, could never be Hyūga. She had not been born to be wrapped in silk, nor had she ever had anything handed to her because of her clan's status. Hana, just like Tsume, just like Kiba and any other Inuzuka, had had to fight her way through life. She was _Inuzuka_.

Tsume would not let the _King of Spades_ and his treacherous ways lead Hana astray.

Tapping her crooked forefinger on her daughter's nose, Tsume shot her that trademark cheeky smirk that had enraged two generations of Clan leaders.

"You are Inuzuka. From the tip of your nose, all the way down to your toes."

And just as when she had been ten, Hana wriggled her toes in pleasure.

**x.x.x.**

As the bottle of beer made contact with the wall and splattered its content all over the newly-painted surface, Naruto just grimaced. If there was one thing he could not bear, it was his girlfriend screaming. Unless it was in unbridled sexual pleasure, that is. Preferably being from his ministrations … Then again, he didn't mind when she went solo as long as he could watch … He was drunk. And his head hurt. Sakura's shriek reverberating through the inner part of his skull and making his brain vibrate felt like the timer to a bomb had just been activated.

_Why?_

Was that what she had yelled? Damn good question. Not one Naruto could answer though. It was Sasuke's job to try and pull something out of his ass. Sakura was frenetically looking around herself. Her knees were shaking, everything was spinning around her and she would most probably crash to the floor in no time. She was drunk like shit. There was only one thing to do when you threw your childhood friend a bachelor's party. Get wasted. She could also replace the stripper and just tear her clothes off. Pulling a Tsunade, she took a wobbly step forward and lost balance. But count on her man to be on it, even when smashed. Before her head made contact with the floor, she was being hoisted up.

"Darling," Naruto slurred, "Sweetie. Sakura. You are fucking drunk and if you keep on screaming like this, the neighbors are gonna call the police. And we don't need that, do we now, baby? We want to try and not get kicked out of this one. Remember what happened with the last apartment?"

Sakura had made a hole in the front door after a fight they had had. But as Naruto always said: better the door than him. She had a dangerous righty. Yet as his muscular arms enveloped her and warm fingers intertwined with hers, Sakura momentarily forgot she was about to kick Uchiha Sasuke's face in because he was getting fucking married.

Breathing in the soothing scent that was purely Naruto, she let him guide her out of the living room. But she had to shoot Sasuke one last glance. Just one last glance; please, Lord. His uninterested eyes did not meet hers as she took in his profile and did her best to commit it to memory. Sakura knew he would not disappear in thin air. She would have the chance to see him on trainings, to go on missions with him, to be close to him.

'_But it won't be Sasuke anymore. It will be a married man._'

Marriage had never seemed so disgusting to her.

As Sakura was being led out into the hallway, Sasuke passed a hand over his face. This was going better than expected. Kind of. It had taken barely a few minutes for Naruto and Sakura to get drunk and lose contact with reality. Not that the _dōbe_ could even define the concept of reality. He was from another dimension. Sasuke had developed a whole theory about Naruto coming from a faraway planet and transforming into a dangerous, oversized primate whenever the full moon was on. Okay, he had maybe taken a beer too many. You'd think he would have learned his lesson with the Hyūga.

Fifteen minutes later, after having struggled with Sakura to get her out of her clothes and under the covers of their bed, Naruto reappeared staggering and fell to the floor beside Sasuke. Alcohol was not exactly his best friend. But strangely enough, sometimes he felt more clear-minded when his blood was saturated with beer. _Sake_ wasn't his shit though. For the one-hundredth time of the day, he started rubbing his skull raw. Naruto wasn't getting it. He fucking wasn't getting it.

"_Teme_. Dude. I don't get you, man."

How Naruto's eyes could be sharp when he was drunk. It was beyond Sasuke. Did he have laser beams screwed into his fucking skull or what?! Why the fuck was he giving Sasuke that beaten-dog look for the second time of the day?! There was nothing be understood, for fuck's sake. But Naruto just stared on. Sasuke had no other choice but to turn his head and meet that prying glance. And drop a few more inner f-bombs. Sometimes, they were the only thing that fit the situation.

He had no explanation to give. He didn't owe Naruto a fucking explanation. What the fuck was this?! Since when were they a fucking couple for Sasuke to tell him all about his whereabouts?! Oh wait, Naruto was his probation agent. Right. He'd forgotten that part. And his best friend. His _brother_. Maybe he did owe him an explanation after all. Something along the lines of: the chick shoved my balls into a mixer and pressed the _on_ button. That good enough?

"I realized I wasn't eternal."

Okay. What the hell was wrong with him?! He honestly needed to keep his shit together, especially in front of Naruto. How the hell would the _dōbe_ get something like that?! But as electric-blue eyes searched his, Sasuke wondered whether he wasn't the one that didn't understand. And whether Naruto wasn't more in contact with reality than Sasuke could even imagine. Naruto just kept on looking at him. All mirth was gone from his gaze.

Yeah, the two of them went way back. Sometimes Sasuke had the impression they were connected. There was something like a thread that linked them to each other. When one walked away, the other had to follow. Sasuke had tried to break that imaginary thread for a long time, to get free from Naruto. And had obviously not succeeded.

"Why … didn't you tell us? For fuck's sake, Sasuke. Are you fucking telling me this is a case of the blues?! Because you realized after having been running rogue for half of your life that you could actually die?!"

Uhm. Yes. That was pretty much it. Funny how a drunk Naruto could put things in perspective for Sasuke. Okay, what was he supposed to answer to that, now? Sasuke hadn't made up any answers beforehand and he honestly regretted it. Today was a bad day. He should have kept his trap shut. However making a fool out of the _dōbe_ was a pleasure he could not have foregone.

Making fun of Naruto in a way or another was a temptation much stronger than, for example, having a hot chick wave a pair of lace panties in front of an inmate's nose. Sasuke had been there, seen that. Wow. Between Naruto and a hot chick, potentially panty-less, Uchiha Sasuke chose Naruto. This was all kinds of wrong.

"A fucking Hyūga, man. Is the part about Hyūga true or did Ino just pull that out of her ass? Wouldn't be the first with Ino."

Yeah. No. It was the truth. Since, thanks to Ino, the whole village seemed to know each and every detail about his upcoming marriage, he had no reason to keep those things a secret anymore.

"Yeah. A Hyūga."

Naruto finally decided to turn his eyes towards the wall that had been ruined. He hoped Sakura hadn't woken the neighbors' eight-year old. He had academy early in the morning. Nice kid, they had. Talented too. Would make a great _shinobi_. Yep, Naruto had a very short attention lapse.

He didn't understand Sasuke. It always took him a few years to get what the _teme_ was up to and what he was going through. Would be the same this time. But hey, maybe getting married to a Konoha chick wasn't a bad thing. Sure, Sasuke was young and all that shit. Yet, Naruto wondered whether being tied to a girl for the rest of his life wouldn't mean Sasuke being tied to Konoha. Being tied to them and staying with them forever.

Sasuke always seemed to be looking for a way out of the village. Whenever they went on missions, Naruto had to keep an eye on him. Because he was worried Sasuke would make a run for it. Maybe now he would settle down and everyone would be at ease to cut him some slack. Naruto hoped so. He really did.

"When are you walking down the aisle, bridezilla?"

Count on a sobering Naruto to switch his brain off. Sasuke wondered whether a perpetually drunk _dōbe_ would have become a scientist or anything else that required for someone to actually have a brain, not just a shitload of muscles.

"Two weeks."

And silence prevailed. How to strike Naruto dumb. But Sasuke had to praise himself. He had succeeded in doing so a few times that very day. He was getting good at shutting Naruto up. Had he only known about all the subtleties of the art a few years ago. Would have saved them from a lot of misery. They had spent more time talking during their decisive battles than actually beating the shit out of each other. Kind of late to remedy to the situation, right?

"When were you planning on telling us?"

Ouch. That question the Uchiha would have preferred to avoid. Honestly. This might go thermonuclear. Nah. Naruto wouldn't pull a hysteria act. He could get pretty hysteric, sure. But tonight, he was set on being serious and on actually getting what was happening. He was sad, and Sasuke hated himself for it. It felt as if he had to continually screw things up. And it always ended up as a burden to Naruto. They honestly had to get over each other. And he honestly fucking needed to tell the truth because lying would not be appropriate or welcome at the moment.

"Wasn't planning to."

A gasp. Yeah, Sasuke sucked. He knew that much. For fuck's sake, the _dōbe_ looked like someone had snatched his _rāmen_ under his nose. And then it happened. Sasuke noticed it. Naruto knew it. Something broke inside of them. It was like an electric shock travelling through the air. Sasuke was at loss for words. They had gone through thick and thin together. They were rivals, best friends. Brothers. Naruto had always been open and direct with Sasuke. There had never been any wishy-washiness on his side, no concealed plans. The same could have not been said about Sasuke. Maybe the _dōbe_ had expected too much from him. He had seen too much in Sasuke.

Because Uchiha Sasuke was not a good guy. He had been the asshole _par excellence_ on so many occasions. He was ready to lie, to deceive, to do a lot of ugly things to get what he wanted. His interactions with the Hyūga had only gone to prove further. Not that Naruto knew anything about that. And it only made Sasuke feel more unworthy.

Sometimes when he stood in front of Naruto, he had the impression he was standing in front of Itachi. Sasuke would have never wanted for Itachi to see him in such a position. He was almost happy his brother was dead and wasn't there to witness how cheap Sasuke was. However, had Itachi still been alive, Sasuke would have not had to prostitute himself for some _random chick_ that didn't mean anything to him.

But Sasuke was wrong. Naruto wasn't disappointed in him. He was disappointed in himself. Sasuke was melancholy by nature and Naruto had always been too daft to understand the intellectual side to his best friend. To his brother. The Uchiha had always had a way to look beyond what was in front of his eyes. He might have been very stubborn about his preconceived ideas; however all those ideas were based on more than an instinctual feel about what right and wrong was. No wonder Sasuke had not seen a need to tell him or Sakura about his plans. They obviously couldn't understand it.

The realization of not being eternal.

There was more to it than simply dying, right? Well, Naruto didn't get it completely. Sure he got the fact that Sasuke kind of got bitch-slapped by reality and finally understood that he could actually be wiped off the surface of earth any time soon. But the way the _teme_ said those weird words, there was a hidden meaning he didn't get. He didn't get it and wouldn't be able to put words on it, but somewhere in the pit of the stomach he felt it.

It was a heavy mass that pulled at his loins. Could have also been him going pukey on the situation, mind you. It had a lonely feel. Sasuke's whole life had a lonely feel. Maybe that was it; he didn't want to go to hell by his lonesome self, or something. And Naruto could understand. That was why people, why _shinobi_, got attached to others in the first place.

That was why Sakura and Naruto held onto each other with a desperation so scorching that it transformed into a bonfire of passion.

"So what you are telling me is that I won't be stuck wearing a fucking penguin-suit. And taking out a loan so that Sakura could buy a shit-ass ugly gift that your wifey will throw out the window on the first occasion?"

Sasuke smirked. Count on the _dōbe_ to set everything right.

"Yeah."

A tap on his back almost propelled Sasuke onto the wall Sakura had abused previously. There always was a way to get over things when you were friends with Uzumaki Naruto. This tacit blessing Naruto was bestowing had a way to reconcile Uchiha Sasuke with his life-choices. He was all set to go off and offer Hyūga Hinata his balls on a silver platter.

"Is it one of the ANBU chicks? Do I know her?"

"Hell no."

Naruto grinned. Well, what did he know?! He wouldn't have minded getting leashed up for the rest of his life to one of those chicks if she gave him some regularly. And if he hadn't been living with the love of his life.

"Yo, _teme_ … Is she hot? Like on a scale of one to ten, how much would you give her?"

The Uchiha rolled his eyes. Hyūga Hinata, eh? He would give her a minus forty degrees Celsius. On a Suna temperature scale that went from scorching hot to _welcome-to-hell_. As Sasuke threw his head back to stare at the useless ceiling fan, he did his best to remember what Hinata looked like. And honestly, he was seeing too much of her. Had he had any talent for sketching, he would have been able to draw each and every detail about her.

The tremors. He knew exactly at what frequency they happened. The long, black eyelashes that opened like fans around her cold, opaque eyes. He could almost tell their number. The thick, dark hair that played shadow-games on the nape of her fragile neck. The long, elegant fingers as they ran over the strings of a _shamisen_. Their swift, precise movements had always made him wary of what she could accomplish in battle. And her lips. Pulp, enticing. But unyielding.

Everything about Hyūga Hinata was unyielding. Automatic. She was a beautiful puppet, powered by an engine fueled by void. Hear, hear. The perpetual motion engine had been discovered by the Hyūga Clan. Urgh.

As Naruto's elbow bore into Sasuke's side and almost broke a rib, Sasuke simply lifted his head and shot the _dōbe_ an annoyed glare. Naruto had made his life difficult again today. Hadn't it been for Naruto, Sasuke would have never been tempted to pull a stint like the one of the afternoon. Always better to put the fault on someone else, eh Uchiha? Story of his life.

"Come on, _teme_. One to ten."

Nudging Naruto back in irritation, Sasuke simply sighed. He wanted to lie; he wanted to say something hurtful, or at least to change the subject. But he'd fucked up enough for the last six months. Whom was he kidding?! He'd fucked up enough for the last decade or so. And here came nothing.

"Twenty."

**x.x.x.**

The servant girls fluttered out of Hinata's apartments, throwing silk all over the place. The lady was being spoiled again. Truly, it was beyond them how someone such as Hyūga Hinata could permit herself so much. She was after all nothing but a _Bunke_, not much different from themselves. But she was the leader's daughter, was she not? Hence, she could make the lives of poor servants miserable by not obeying.

The _kimono_ they had brought her did not suit the lady's taste. The fact it had been imported from _Tsuki no Kuni_ did not weigh much in its favor, it seemed. Even the design was custom-made. The Hyūga had paid for the sketches that had led to its conception to be burned. And forced the artist to sign an agreement he would never reproduce the design. Oh, fine. She could do whatever she damn well pleased. The leader just had to make due with her fantasies; the servants would not meddle any further.

And honestly, Hinata preferred it that way. Standing dressed in nothing but a thin, translucent silk skirt and a blouse of the same material thrown over her shoulders; she stared at her reflection in the mirror. The woman that was staring back at her scared her. It was a haggard, lost girl whose eyes were wide in horror and that trembled in fright. Or because of damaged nerves, whatever. Her eyelids had taken an unhealthy dark hue and the bags under her eyes were as black as ink, or almost. Her skin appeared thinner than ever and the veins of her body stood out making her look like an abstract painting.

Hinata smiled at herself. She was at her best to enter matrimony. To serve herself to the Uchiha on a silver plate. She would match him nicely. He was beautiful on the outside and hideous on the inside. She would be hideous on the inside out. Her lips quivered. And then it happened. Something like one of her crises.

She lost control of her own thoughts and slipped into a delusional. The woman she was seeing in the mirror, that reflection, beamed at Hinata and tilted her head to the side. That other Hinata, in that other dimension, was trying to pull the real one into an alternate universe. If there was one thing Hinata did not want to do before her wedding was think about what could have been.

And yet as imagination hijacked her mind and as the illusion seeped into reality, Hinata saw that other self pull a veil from the mirror. Revealing a daunting scene. A little dark-haired girl stood by a sunflower and grinned up at a tall black-haired woman. The woman bent over to get a better look at the innocent big eyes of the child. Hinata wanted out. She did not want to see it. It hurt her. It tortured her. It killed her from the inside.

The little girl had the clearest eyes one could imagine. The color of the sea, so deeply blue that they could be nothing but deceiving. In the background a tall, blond man was approaching with a rowdy boy under his arm. The perfect image of a perfect family. And at once as if they could see her through the mirror, they all turned their eyes towards her. Three pairs of beautiful, deceiving blue eyes and one pair of opaque, white ones. Her own.

Hinata was staring at Hinata. Full of reproach and unshed tears. And for the first time of her life, she wondered whether she was not living a lie, whether she was not the treacherous reflection, while the woman on the other side of the mirror was the truth. The reality. No. No, she could not doubt. She could not doubt that Uzumaki Naruto would have made her miserable. She had never been for him, he had never seen her. He had not even looked at her would it be once.

No sane woman, no woman with feelings, with dreams could accept to be the second choice of the man she loved. Hyūga Hinata might have been weak, she might have been shy but never had she been passive. Her character might have appeared as meek on first instance, but those that got to know her realized quite fast that there was nothing compliant about her.

Hinata was proud. She was _Hyūga_.

She had become Hyūga from the moment she had taken her first breath and would remain so until her death.

And no Hyūga woman would offer herself willingly to a man that had scorned her during her lifetime.

The girl on the other side of the mirror sardonically smirked at Hinata. A challenge? Trust the real Hinata to be on the ball. She knew how to get rid of the illusions. Regaining her soft, sad smile, she raised her hands to her forehead. Her nails bit into the flesh at the hairline. It was coming from the eyes. She needed to get rid of the eyes. One swift movement over them and they would be scratched beyond use, she knew.

And then, she would never see Uzumaki Naruto standing by her side and holding the children they would not have to his heart again.

At the same instant as the servants rushed out of Hinata's apartments, an infuriated Hanabi turned the corner. At seeing that bunch of chattering dimwits strolling around, she almost combusted.

"What is this?! Where is Hinata?!"

The maids startled and immediately took a subservient stance. A dissatisfied Hanabi-sama was as dangerous feral animal to encounter unprotected. With how the preparations of Hinata-_hime_'s marriage had disturbed the normal functioning of the compound, the servants could not expect for a _HISS_ to come save them if ever Hanabi-sama had one of her fits.

"So? Will someone answer me?"

The servants had to weigh their words carefully. Hanabi-sama was known to be short-tempered and petulant to the highest degree.

"Hinata-hime has demanded for us to leave her."

Hanabi's eyes widened in anger. Someone would pay. Lucky that the _Byakugan_ could not explode someone's head at a distance because there would have been a massacre. The servants recoiled immediately and shielded their faces with the sleeves of their _yukata_.

"Mercy, my lady. Oh, my lady, my lady."

Mercy?! Fucking mercy when Hinata would be late to her own wedding?! Hanabi was beyond herself. So much laziness and inefficacy in this godforsaken compound!

"Thirty seconds. If you have not disappeared in thirty seconds …"

They did as told. Trust Hyūga servants to obey whenever their head was at stake. And whenever it was Hanabi-sama that was giving the orders. That small, aggressive lady was truly her grandfather's granddaughter. Minus the hysteria. But give her a few more decades and dementia would take care of that as well. Hanabi sighed. This compound was a mental hospital. Without specialized mednins, that is.

Pushing the shoji to her sister's apartments aside, she stepped in and froze immediately. Standing in front of her was an obviously frantic Hinata. The blouse that was supposed to cover her was opening around her chest, revealing a full, ripe breast. Her _Byakugan_ was activated and her hands positioned as to obviously scratch down her face. However, it was the smile that was etched on her lips that froze Hanabi to the bone. A smile right out of horror stories.

She had only seen such a smile once. Hanabi had been seven and Neji had been about to kill Hinata in front of her very eyes. She had not felt anything at that moment. She had been trained not to feel anything and to consider death as the punishment for weakness. And yet, as Hanabi beheld that smile for a second time, she could not refrain the shiver of fear that ran down her spine.

However, as soon as a gleam of recognition passed through Hinata's pale eyes, the smile slipped and the hands fell to her side, leaving behind nothing but small, crescent shaped marks at the basis of her hairline.

"_Imōto_-san … Hanabi …"

Those had not been words. It had been a moan, a desperate noise a woman makes, begging to be saved. And Hanabi rushed to her. For the first time of her life, Hanabi rushed to someone. And before she could restrain herself, before she could analyze her own actions, her little body took hold of Hinata's and she squeezed hard. As hard as she could. And trust Hanabi to be able to squeeze very hard.

Who was demanding to be comforted? The crazed older sister or the deprived younger one. None of the two of them could have answered that question. However, as Hinata felt her spine cracking under the pressure of her sister's arms, she understood. There was no truth, there was no lie. There were only paths to be chosen. What she had seen in the mirror could have been one path had she done the right things to realize the fantasy. However, she had chosen to walk away from such an eventuality. She had _chosen_ to do so. Had she been more demanding, more willing, more conspicuous, she would have conquered him. Because unlike Haruno Sakura, Hyūga Hinata was without a doubt the most stubborn _kunoichi_ Konoha had ever born. But she had not been willing to change her character, her personality for anyone's benefit but her own.

Until she had turned seventeen, Hinata had invested all her energy into becoming a _kunoichi_ of worth. But that had never implied her having to strip from all the particularities that made her Hyūga Hinata. That would have meant giving in to her father and his demands. Giving in to the Hyūga. And she would have never done so. Neji and her stuck together in their obstinacy to never give up their ideals. He had never bowed his head to the _Sōke_. She had never changed her ways to please the Clan.

Hinata knew the Clan. Being herself had brought her nothing but scorn. However, had she submitted to their demands, they would have deemed her nothing more than a pawn. She had lost her father's respect as a child and nothing could regain it, she knew as much. So, the best bet had always been to stick to her own _nindō_. Inspired my Naruto's, fair enough. But her own nonetheless.

Softly pushing Hanabi aside, she grabbed onto her younger sister's shoulders. Hinata did not care that she was flashing her breasts at her sibling. But Hanabi did, doing her best to keep her eyes glued to Hinata's and not give her twins _that_ look. Why is it that Hanabi's chest was as flat as a frying pan when Hinata already had a killer rack at age fourteen?! Life had always been unfair to Hanabi, if you asked her opinion. However, she had to set her thoughts aside for an instant. The penetrating, severe glance her usually soft sister was giving her left no room for any humor. Which wasn't Hanabi's cup of tea anyways.

"Hanabi. Little Hanabi."

A hand rose to Hanabi's cheek. How Hinata's hands were cold. The hands of a dead woman. And yet, they were soft unlike her hard eyes. But Hanabi's fright had dissipated in thin air. Hinata was never hard from hatred, no. She was set. She was ready. Kicking her chin up, the older sister examined the younger through her eyelashes. This was the visage she had sacrificed her peace for. This was the younger sister she had offered her life for. She was ready. Hyūga Hinata was finally ready.

For Hanabi, she would step aside and disappear from the compound. At least, as daughter of Hyūga Hiashi. Hanabi was young and inexperienced and she would need someone to guide her, to shoulder her and to show her the right way. Hinata would have been a mediocre leader because she did not have Hanabi's rage, her haughtiness and egoism. Hanabi would be a bad leader if she did not have an ally that would teach her how to find the weaknesses of the Elders, of the generals and use them against them. Hinata was not sure how much she could help. But she would do everything in her power.

To change the Hyūga Clan. In Neji's name.

Uzumaki Naruto had promised Neji he would do so. And Hyūga Hinata would never permit for that to happen. The Hyūga, whether they be _Bunke_ or _Sōke_, did not need the help or pity of an outsider.

Grabbing onto Hanabi's hands, Hinata brought them to her lips and under her sister's astounded glance, kissed them with passion. Those would be the hands that would rebuild the Hyūga Clan. Hinata would do everything for that to happen. Even if it meant walk to hell and back. Even if it meant marrying Uchiha Sasuke as to appear less of a menace to the Elders.

As Hanabi looked at Hinata's beautiful eyes bordered by those thick, black lashes, she felt her will vacillate. Had anyone ever noticed how her sister's eyes burned? No. Hanabi was sure she was the only one to notice such details about her sister.

"Hanabi-chan, my Hanabi-chan, r-remember that a leader's hands are m-meant to heal. Remember that and you shall b-be the greatest leader the Clan will ever know."

Hanabi's hands fell to her side. Heal. Hanabi could not heal. She was not Hinata. Panic rose in her chest. Examining her older sister, shaken by those low amplitude tremors of hers, her eyes scorching with delusion, sadness and some unfaltering belief, Hanabi knew that she could not do it. She was not strong enough. Hyūga Hanabi could kill, she could break, she could destroy. But build, heal she could not. She was not Hinata. Hanabi was not Hinata. She wanted to scream it at their father.

Hanabi wanted to scream at him that she was not Hinata and that she did not understand diplomacy, psychology, history, sociology. She had no idea how to speak to the _Bunke_ and how to honor the _Sōke_.

But that persistent gleam of hope she saw in Hinata's eyes forced her to straighten her back and to kick up her chin. Fake it till you make it, so they said. Hanabi had no fucking idea what she would do. Especially with Hinata marching to her death. Well ok, marriage wasn't death. Then again, when you were going off to marry the Uchiha Avenger … Whatever. She would have to play it by ear.

"Would y-you care to help m-me dress, _imōto_-san?"

Yeah, Hanabi needed to keep occupied or she might very well decide to test whether she could really kill and break _anything_. Uchiha Sasuke at the moment appeared like a very tempting prey.

Hinata, engulfed by her implacable thoughts, had not noticed that Hanabi was dressed in a very fitting _tomesode_. More than that hideous _uchikake_ they had brought her, it was that _tomesode_, black around her sister's upper body yet colorful on the skirt, that made Hinata realize she was getting married. She was really getting married. At age nineteen. To a man she had barely seen a handful of times in her life. Bile made its way to her mouth.

But the confused glance Hanabi shot her had a way to electrocute her back into action.

"I am certainly n-not going to wear that white h-horror."

Even the understanding Hinata could sound spoiled when she wished to. Again, it had all to do with stubbornness. Something the servants could write a book about when it came to the two _hime_. They had inherited it from their father.

"Go to m-my alcove. Open the c-closet and retrieve a black w-wooden box and bring it to me. It is h-hidden under the futon."

Hanabi executed herself without waiting. They were late. They were so late. Hiashi would tear their heads off. Or even worse, shoot them _that_ glare. Hinata was moving out, she would not have to face their father tomorrow morning. But Hanabi would. She would get chewed out. And Hiashi chewing you out implied giving you the spanking of a lifetime. And that had nothing to do with your usual tap on the butt.

Coming back with the said box, Hanabi warily examined Hinata as she closed the lapels of the thin blouse and rolled a piece of fabric around her waist. Falling to her knees, Hanabi opened the box only to be left struck. A _kimono_. It was folded and Hanabi could not pinpoint what type it was. But she could certify it was not any type of _uchikake_. It was a red … thing. Red was the color of luck, sure, but by the look Hinata shot her younger sibling, Hanabi could certify that in this case, it was the color of blood.

Extending her hands impatiently, Hinata shot Hanabi a tight smile. They better hurry unless they wanted to arrive at the wedding after everyone had already left. Then again, the idea of actually not having to face Uchiha Sasuke on their wedding appealed to Hinata. That would be an interesting idea to explode. How to organize a wedding without the spouses having to bear each other's presence. They could create a precedent.

Hanabi slid her fingers under the _kimono_ to grab the dainty dress that would go underneath it. And to her horror she could feel more than one layer of thin silk. How many layers would Hinata be wearing?! Hanabi was at two with her _tomesode_. Swiftly counting, there were at least three under there.

"_Imōto_-san."

The bride was getting impatient. Well, ok, whatever. Hanabi was doing what she was told. If Hinata wanted to wear the equivalent of an elephant on her back, it was her prerogative. And so, the younger sister, clumsy little thing that had no style whatsoever, did her best to assist the older sister in passing her arms into three layers of silk that most probably cost more than any house in Konoha. Heck, they most probably cost as much as the whole _Bunke_ area. People included. But if there was one thing that the Hyūga had never saved on, it was Hinata's silk. She made miracles with it. And in record times. The Hyūga called her elegant and fashionable. Hinata called herself bored and underrated. Let's say there was a difference between designing a cute _kimono_ design and completing an S-ranked.

Hanabi could not refrain the gasp that escaped her as she finally unfolded the crimson _kimono_. It was a _furisode_, with those long sleeves that would sweep over the ground. A young woman's _kimono_. Not a wedding _kimono_ by a long shot. But that had not truly shocked Hanabi.

Hinata had become a strange one since the end of the war and decency was not exactly in her top priorities anymore. And Hanabi doubted the _miko_ of the temple would kick her out on her own wedding. The Hyūga were paying that temple a shitload. Okay, they were bribing it. Hyūga were _Shintoists_, Uchiha were _Buddhists_. Whatever, as long as the Hyūga paid.

What was truly shocking about the _kimono_ was the design on its skirt. Two cranes. Their heads raised to examine a cloudy moon, their necks sensually intertwining. In the background, a stormy sea. This was an aggressive design. One of Hinata's. She was known for her military motifs that held no mawkish quality to them. And only she could match gold, red, white, black, blue and yellow at once. She might have been color-blind as well and just had the luck of striking right every time she had some idea.

But, as Hanabi inspected it, mesmerized by its complexity, she realized that something was off. The design was good, but Hinata could do better. The _haori_ she had made for Uchiha Sasuke had had a less clumsy feel to it. And had seemed finished compared to this than this _furisode_. Then again, Hanabi knew nothing about _kimono_. And yet, that uneasiness remained.

"It is n-not finished. I started w-working on it w-when I was twelve."

Oh. Went a great way to explain some shit. Hanabi lowered it from her gaze and directed her eyes to Hinata who waited expectantly. She had started making it at age twelve and never finished it? Hanabi wanted to ask. But she would not. It was beyond her that someone would work during five years on a _kimono_ to leave it unfinished. Or that someone would go to her own wedding dressed in an unfinished maiden _furisode_.

And exactly because she couldn't understand, she knew it must have been important. Swiftly standing up, Hanabi did her best to pass her sister's extended arms through the heavy, long sleeves that shimmered in the light of the morning, seeping through a partly open _shōji_ giving on the garden. The matching _obi_ was orange and green. And it worked. Only Hyūga Hinata was able to pull off orange and green.

"Tighter."

Hanabi raised her eyes to meet her sister's in the mirror. Hinata's quivering hand was pressed against her stomach and she grimaced as Hanabi pulled the _obi_ towards herself.

"T-tighter. Pull it until I cannot breathe."

Hanabi would have refused had the tails of the _obi_ not been snatched from her hands. She turned her head to the side in shock. She had not felt him. She had not heard him. And she just saw him now. Hyūga Kō, who else?! Hanabi's brow furrowed an instant but she was soon being bumped aside by the tall man. Hinata's eyes in the mirror widened and her lips parted. The little color that a low-grade fever had given her cheeks disappeared at once.

To Hanabi, Hinata looked like a paper doll that had been smudged with blue and green. The color being her veins that seemed to pop out from under usually uniformly pale skin. Kō violently pulled the _obi_, eliciting a gasp from Hinata. Slightly stunned she threw her head back and let a moan of pain escape her.

"Tighter. T-tighter."

She wanted to not be able to speak. She wanted to die by asphyxiation.

"This is tight enough. You will have to ride to the temple and might faint if we make it any tighter."

And before she could protest, his quick, expert fingers started tying the _obi_ under Hanabi's astonishment.

"Close your mouth, Hanabi-_sama_, you might swallow a fly."

She snapped it shut, sending him an offended glare. How could he be so … infuriating. He seriously forgot that Hanabi could have his head served for breakfast tomorrow morning if she wished so. And where the hell did he of all people learn to tie an _obi_?! She forgot he took care of a _Sōke_ princess for most of his life. And then, there had been Hōtaru as well. Beautiful, willful women had a way to train men. Kō hoped as hell Uchiha Sasuke would get a taste of that. Doubtful with the way he and Hinata interacted whenever he deigned show his rat face around the compound.

Once he was done, and it took him a good twenty minutes to get it over with. He took a step back examining Hinata in the mirror. His eyes were hard, and unlike Hinata, there was rage reflected in them. Hanabi was ready to use the seal if he ever proved himself to be threatening. Yet, Hinata's eyes at once filled with water as they met his in the mirror. The Hinata from only a few instants ago, whose firm, determined gaze had burned through Hanabi, disappeared at once.

This had the feel of an intimate moment and Hanabi would have wanted to disappear. And before she could excuse herself, she witnessed without any doubt the most shocking scene she had ever been given to see. In a swift movement, even if her limbs were stiff because of all those layers of fabric, Hinata turned around and, standing up on tiptoes crushed her lips to Kō's. Hanabi's jaw dropped instantaneously. How to strike a Hyūga prodigy dumb.

Stepping away from the man she had … well, virtually assaulted, according to Hanabi, Hinata finally let go and started to cry. To bitterly cry. Of course, to Hanabi, who was still very much confused about Hinata's relationship with Neji (and the least she thought about it, the better she felt), that was a show of attachment to Kō. However, why he was looking like he was about to slap her was beyond Hanabi. And she was ready to jump in and use the seal on him. No one was allowed to look at Hinata that way.

"_Bunke_–"

"I am sorry. F-forgive m-me."

Why the hell was Hinata begging for forgiveness?! Ok, this was all kinds of wrong. Hanabi's eyes turned towards Kō. Went to Hinata. And then back to the man. What the fuck was happening?! She didn't like the feel of all this. And yet, the way Kō's shoulders tightened and his eyes lowered to the ground made Hanabi feel very uneasy. But not threatened.

"There is nothing to forgive, Hinata-_hime_."

Oh, yes. Yes, there was. His eyes still shone with those secrets she had uncovered. And she could not bring herself to talk about them. She knew she would never be able to. Because she was a selfish girl that wanted Kō by her side, but without having to offer anything in exchange. And he would have been hurt had he known she thought his affection, his total and absolute obedience and his desire to make her life easier to be conditional on her love. Because love was what she had seen in his eyes. She had seen the same expression years ago, when she had been starting at her reflection, wondering whether Uzumaki Naruto considered her pretty.

Before she could grab onto his hands to demand forgiveness for a second time, his disappeared under the _obi_ of his _yukata_ to produce what seemed to be a simple stick made of ebony. At its extremity hung a small, shiny jade bead. It was a decoration. A simple one. The type _Bunke_ girls would wear with pride during important family celebrations. Until a _Sōke_ lady walked by, her hair shining with all types of golden and silver ornaments.

Her quivering hand snatched the gift and held it against her heart as Hinata shook under the force of her sobs and usual tremors. She wanted to wear it. Because he loved her. She also wanted to wear something of the other man that had loved her. Neji and Kō had both loved her, in two different ways. And she had sinned against the both of them. It was a burden so heavy to bear.

"P-please go fetch the wooden b-box. The hidden one."

Kō simply bowed his head before disappearing as he had appeared, swiftly, slyly, through the _shōji_ leading to the terrace. Hanabi paid great attention to the wood creaking and the way the man seemed to be tapping his foot here and there before falling on his knees and virtually tearing out a panel from the veranda. The servants would be unhappy. However, he returned it carelessly before reappearing in the room. In his hand a small, dusty box. It was the day of the wooden boxes, or what?! They had never heard of metal boxes or cardboard?! Well, no, not in the Hyūga compound, they hadn't.

"The b-bandages."

And so the bandages were produced from the small box. And those bandages made Hanabi's stomach heave. What the hell was that?! They were dirty. And there were brown stains all over them. They must have been white at some point, a few hundred years ago. And yet, Hinata's damp eyes glistened at the sight of them. She had not touched them for two years. She had not opened that box for just as long.

"P-please, t-tie my hair."

Tie her hair?! Wait, wait, what about the traditional hairdo?! They had asked a special hairdresser from the _Bunke_ area to come and take care of Hinata. But of course, since it was her wedding, Hinata had the right to be as wilful as she wished; Hanabi would certainly not be the one to begrudge her a whim here or there. And Kō did as he was bid.

Gathering that thick long hair he had always loved in his palm, he felt a spasm travel through his hand. He could not. He could not let go of her. The taste of her lips on his tortured him and robbed him from his sleep. In her desire to alleviate his suffering, she had only added to it by kissing him before running away with Uchiha Sasuke. Kō had hated Neji, he loathed Uchiha Sasuke. He spent his nights trying to convince himself that the Uchiha would have nothing but a pretty doll to freeze him to the bone. But that pretty doll was _his_ Hinata. He wanted to pull that hair hard.

Kō wanted to make her scream in pain only once. Hyūga Hinata was exactly like Hyūga Hōtaru. Doing evil when wanting to do good. He had wanted to worship at their feet and hurt them as much as he could for that very reason.

He was careful. So very careful, as he passed the dirty bandages over her hair. She would have something of Neji. The very bandages that had protected his hands. She had stolen them off of his corpse. She had stolen his forehead protector. And finally, she had found a way to save his thick, brown braid of hair from incineration. She had been crazy, she had been delusional, she had simply grabbed for it and didn't even remember the feel of the incinerator as it had burned her left hand.

Neji. He would forgive her.

As Kō completed his task and looked at the _Heian_ beauty he was seeing, with her hair falling over her shoulders and attached between her shoulder blades, he felt like breaking that mirror. The woman he was seeing reflected in it was not Hinata. But what was Hinata?! He couldn't even remember the real Hinata. Since her sealing, she had been replaced by too many new characters. All inconsistent. Each different from the other.

However, in that split of an instant as she passed him the ornament he had brought her, he had the impression he noticed something of the old Hinata, something like a modest hesitance. Yes, she was wise to be hesitant to accept that ornament. It had been her mother's. Something Kō had succeeded in recuperating before it had been stored away. In other words destroyed. From back when Hōtaru had been poor and virtuous.

But Hyūga Hiashi had led her astray. There had been a rumor back in the days of his youth. In the elite forces, when he had served as tracker, his companions had called him the _King of Spades_. It had to do with some western card game that Kō had never heard about. However, it sounded terribly vulgar and hence whenever Kō had thought about Hiashi and Hōtaru together, he had found a certain comfort in calling him the _King of Spades_. There was a deceiving and treacherous ring to it. No wonder, Hōtaru had given in to him and ended up miserable and dead.

And now, Kō was offering her eldest daughter a bad luck charm. Maybe out of revenge. Maybe on the contrary as a token of affection. Because that ridiculous ornament that had no value had cost him three months of salary back when he had been fifteen years old. And Hōtaru had graciously accepted it and worn it without shame.

Violently, without pity, he stabbed through the bandages with it. And the stick with its small, insignificant bead held. If only Hinata would stab Uchiha Sasuke's heart with it!

They had forgotten Hanabi completely and she had made herself as small as was humanly possible. She was intruding as always. But as she noticed how they decided to head towards the hallway without Hinata having even put on make-up, she could not keep silent any longer.

"What about the make-up?"

Shocked, Hinata turned around and remembered that Hanabi had come to help her with the preparations. The make-up? After having seen Hinata discard her expensive _uchikake_ for an unfinished _furisode_, after having seen her attach her hair with dirty bandages and adorning it with nothing but a cheap ornament, Hanabi still asked about make-up?!

For the first time in a long while, Hinata smiled genuinely and extended her hand for her younger sibling to grab onto it. As Hanabi's warm fingers intertwined with Hinata's cold ones and they hurried out of the apartments, Kō was left to admire their backs, a bitter taste in his mouth.

Hinata had kissed him and yet, she had not turned around once to throw him a last glance. She was so eager to run off with the Uchiha, wasn't she? Freedom called for her. The little jade bead on ornament jumped up and down. The _furisode_ fluttered about. And the overall image of those two girls running in the hallways seemed so incomplete. There was something missing.

But that was Hinata's life. Her _kimono_ was unfinished, she left many words unsaid and many looks unreturned. Hyūga Hinata was just that. Incomplete.

**x.x.x.**

"You are fucking kidding me, Hyūga Hiashi."

It amazed Hiashi what types of low-lives he had to interact with on a daily basis. Take the _Gōdaime_, for example. She was an alcoholic and swore more than any swordsman from _Mizu no Kuni_. Even dressed in a ceremonial _kimono_, she looked like a prostitute with her unsightly large breasts. But all that could have been swept under the rug or forgiven had she not had that bad habit of always questioning the Hyūga Clan's motivations. She obeyed, sure, but not without making a whole mess out of the situation.

She had yet to learn a fundamental lesson. When your life depends on the goodwill of some people, such as the Hyūga for example, you are better off smiling and nodding your head. Count on Tsunade not to take anything lying down though. The Uchiha had obviously not revealed the identity of his bride and the Hyūga had not seen the necessity of worrying Tsunade-sama too much. She was getting old.

"You lying, conniving rat. You said that she was an unregistered servant!"

She was spitting on him. Hiashi disliked that greatly. However he was too much a gentleman to punch a woman. Especially older than himself. But if she did not learn to behave he might choose his daughter's marriage as a good occasion to teach her manners.

"She is an unregistered servant. She is sealed."

"She is a Konoha _kunoichi_!"

Hysteria was not beneficial for a woman that old. Her pressure would skyrocket. And Hiashi disliked another thing, besides getting spit at. He did not enjoy the feel of her forefinger hitting his sternum. He considered that as a form of assault and so did the Elders and the few guards they had taken along. Everyone was shifting around nervously.

"She is retired and hence under Hyūga authority. She is sealed, therefore a _Bunke_."

You see. That is what Sasuke hated about bringing the _Hōkage_ along. She always found a way to lengthen the civilities. Standing by his bride and his sister-in-law, whose name he still couldn't remember, for fuck's sake, he had the impression they were being forgotten as Tsunade drilled Hiashi.

"She is a hero!"

"All that is fine, _Gōdaime-dōnō_. But that does not change the fact that she is an unregistered servant and that therefore the Hyūga Clan did not send out any false information concerning this union."

"Arranged marriages are illegal in _Hi no Kuni_. Konoha included!"

Turning around, Hiashi shot his daughter a stern glance. Cue to her opening her pretty little mouth and making Sasuke's already miserable day just more fucking unbearable.

"I am willingly s-stepping into m-m-matrimony."

Wow, princess, can you be any more convincing?! Unfortunately, after this many months, Sasuke still had to find the _off_ button on that thing. She somewhat reminded him of Yamanaka Ino. Looking at her was fun, sure. But trying to have a conversation was a pain. Not that Sasuke had tried having a conversation with Hyūga Hinata.

He was actually planning on keeping it pretty standard. _Pass-the-salt_ type of thing or something along those lines.

And here came the Elders. The Hyūga Elders, that is. The Konoha Elders … with all the Konoha Clan leaders and other _important_ people Sasuke had not seen since his hearing two years ago would join them during the reception. He wondered how many of them would stay for the wedding night to see how he did his job.

Just thinking about the wedding night made him fucking queasy. This was not going well. And he did his best not to shoot a glance at his … wife. Or whatever she was at this point. He was not _Shintoist_, he had no idea how shit happened around here. But he'd stepped onto the temple's territory without one of those feisty little _miko_ using her bow and arrow on his ass.

Back to the Elders.

"Hinata says so herself. This is a willing marriage between two young people with matching characters and aptitudes."

Matching aptitudes. That Elder was fucking insulting Sasuke! Did he look like some fag that did _ikebana_ and drew pretty pictures?! Whatever. This was just such a loss of time. He wanted to get over with all the bullshit and just walk back with his tombola price. Hinata, for those that didn't get it. Not that she was especially appetizing today. The woman that was standing by him, barely breathing, her skin sallow and her eyes widened by all that unhealthy black around them, had little to do with the woman he had seen almost weekly for the last six months. Not that Sasuke felt any pity for her. Not that he was disappointed in her withering beauty. He just fucking noticed. Is all.

And then it had to happen. Tsunade had to say those words that would just fucking ruin everything. Or at least plant the seed of doubt in Sasuke's mind, a seed that would eventually grow and take his life over. At the moment, however, he had no idea how important those words would become.

"The Hyūga Clan and its schemes. Giving Hinata of all people to the rogue Uchiha."

Hinata of _all_ people. His head turned to take a good look at what he was marrying. And this time it had nothing to do with her beauty. Hinata of _all_ people. Why not Hinata? Why was the _Hōkage_ so irate at it being Hyūga Hinata he was taking? He didn't know.

And that was the most horrible feeling one could step into matrimony with. Uchiha Sasuke hated not knowing, he hated being left out. That had been his whole life in a nutshell. Never seeing the bigger picture.

Towering over him in her wooden sandals, she turned her own, placid, cold gaze to Sasuke. And in it shone the same resistance, the same unyielding blankness that he had always known. The only thing that spoke of any tumult she could have ever felt were the black circles around her eyes.

Hinata of _all_ people.

Hinata of all people was looking right through him, not seeing him. However, he did feel something else. As Tsunade had spoken, his reflex had been to turn towards the fiancée. He should have turned towards he heiress however. Because she had been the one to shift. It had been her _kimono_ that had quivered from an involuntary movement of shock.

Count on the Hyūga to regain immediate footing. The Elders surrounded Tsunade at once, smiling at her in servile ways, their faces as genuine as _Nō_ masks. Sasuke was not given to hear what they were saying since blood was thundering in his ears. Hinata did not turn away her eyes away from his. She did not lower her head. She was not even looking at him.

Dressed in that peculiar manner that had greatly upset the Elders, she was saluting him in her own way. He understood the words in her glazed eyes; he understood that she did not wear the white veil of submission. From the first moment he had seen her, she had submitted to him in that unyielding way of hers. She was offering him her body. But not her soul. Because there was no soul to offer in that husk of flesh.

And he would take her. He would take her with a taste of metal in his mouth and the knowledge that she was a trap. Sasuke saw it in Tsunade's whiskey-colored eyes as she turned around to shoot them one last glance. She was being dragged off by the Elders. That was the signal. Shit was finally going to happen. And funny how Sasuke didn't feel all that eager all of a sudden.

Hanabi rushed from his side to Hinata's to help her move around with that red horror she was wearing. Sasuke might have appreciated red on any other day, but on this particular one he was set on hating everything.

_Miko_ rushed towards them to lead the march. The gates to what was one of the most pompous buildings he had ever seen in his life were being thrown open. His state of mind did not permit him to realize what was happening. He did however catch the disgusted glance the priest shot his charming wife and himself. A _Buddhist_ and his wench, or something along those lines. Not that Sasuke had ever been practicing. He had left that to his mother.

What a strange thing to do on your wedding day. Think about your dead mother. However, as he walked by Hinata, taking those painfully slow steps, in his ridiculous _hakama_, he could not hinder his thoughts from going to Mikoto. His mother. The woman he had loved with all the strength of despair. She had been the center of his life. And he could only imagine the shame she was feeling in the grave at seeing him selling off in such a manner.

As he marched towards his fate, his whole being got attuned to the souls of thousands of dead Uchiha. He could feel them. He was doing it for them. He was doing it for the Clan. He was doing it for his brother. For Itachi that had believed in a better world and that had made the ultimate sacrifice. What was Sasuke's sacrifice compared to that? He could almost feel the softness of his mother's long, black hair against his cheek.

At the very moment he thought about Mikoto's dark locks, a gust of wind made Hinata's hair fly all around her shoulders and face. Dark, long locks. And then he knew. Sasuke didn't have to turn around to take another look at Hinata. He had always known that she reminded him of someone. He had not been quite sure of whom it was. But now he knew.

Her hair might have been soft and shiny. Like Mikoto's. However, it was not Mikoto, energetic and cheerful, that she reminded him off. That self-possession, that cold unyielding character that could not be provoked into action had nothing to do with Mikoto. Itachi. She reminded him of Itachi. Itachi that had leaned in, so close as to whisper to Sasuke's ear that only hatred could make him stronger. He remembered Itachi's cold, unyielding eyes, hiding all his own pain, his own suffering.

And Sasuke doubted. He wanted to go back on his word, to run away. He had been trapped. Again. Just like with Itachi. He had been led into the Hyūga the way he was being led into the temple. His mind had been hazed by _sake_ the way it was being hazed by incense. Uchiha Sasuke wanted to accuse them all. He wanted to accuse Tsunade. The Hyūga Elders. Hyūga Hiashi. The heiress.

He wanted to accuse Hyūga Hinata for having led him on. The way his own brother had years ago. But there was just so much fucking denial a man could live in. The truth was, as the priest welcomed their assembly into the temple, that Sasuke had trapped himself. His greed, his fright, his incapacity to face the concept of death and the ephemeral essence of life had led him to Hyūga Hinata.

And he worried that just like with Itachi, he would wake up to find out one day that the cold, expressionless porcelain doll was in fact a completely different person from what he had imagined. And as with Itachi, he would feel betrayed. Not betrayed by her, but betrayed by his own senses. Hinata had already proven that under that fascinating shell of hers, there was something breathing, living, palpitating, something real that Sasuke honestly didn't want to come in contact with. It was an ass-burner, he could guarantee.

From that moment on however, since Sasuke decided to stay nonetheless (the gates were closed and on the other side awaited a bunch of Hyūga guards, ready to castrate him if need arose), the ceremony went quite fast. A priest shook around some white paper bands to purify the room and the guests, shooting Sasuke the evil eye and clicking his tongue at Hinata's attire. He shook that stick with the paper bands extra vigorously at them. _Hara-gushi_ they called it.

It was pretty ironic that Sasuke had attacks called _Susanoo_ and _Amaterasu_ up his sleeve and yet would not be able to even state the main teachings of the _Shintō_ religion. What he did fucking know however was that he did not need any _sake_. Something about him not wanting to puke all over the _miko_ that were screaming their throats out. _Shintoists_ called that singing, it seemed.

And yet _sake_ it was. The Hyūga had prepared him to the eventuality. That goddamn servant Kō had been charged with explaining the _San-San-Kudo_ to the Uchiha. The servant had been as curt as humanly possible. Through clenched teeth he had thrown the basics to the Uchiha's head and Sasuke had been more than willing to show off all his knowledge of _Shintō_ mythology by giving Kō a taste of _Amaterasu_.

The charming _miko_ that were attending the groom and bride started handing them cups of different sizes filled with the despised amber liquid. Three times three exchanges of the cups. And he tasted it. Hinata. He tasted Hinata as his lips made contact with the surface hers had touched previously. Her soft perfume lingered over the cup, giving the alcohol a more bearable taste. There was something sweet about Hyūga Hinata. Uchiha Sasuke disliked sweets. And yet, coupled to the bitterness of the _sake_, he could almost bear it. Would he always need to take a good swig of _sake_ before attending to Hyūga Hinata? 'Cause he had issues getting it up when drunk.

He did not look around to see that Tsunade, Hiashi and the Elders partook in the orgy and got their fair share of sake.

And that was it. There. Over. Done. Sasuke was … married to Hinata. The Uchiha, well what was left of the Clan, and the Hyūga had hit a deal. It felt … strangely lonely. How does it feel to get fucked in the ass? Well, Sasuke could assure you that it felt very much like a _Shintō_ wedding. The satisfied smirks the Hyūga Elders shot him as he and his … bride were led towards the sanctuary to offer twigs of _sakaki_ to the gods made him want to scream.

Sasuke regretted. He regretted. He fucking regretted, ok?! But Hinata stunned him. And not in a good way. Even with those black circles that spoke of sleepless nights, her eyes remained dry and unwavering. She was good and tight inside. This was routine for her. What did he know; maybe she was some type of black widow that had consummated more than one man.

Why not? She had the looks of a temptress and that act of innocence she had going on was fake, Sasuke was sure. Women in their twenties, or almost, were everything but innocent. Hyūga girls did not fornicate with outsiders, that much he knew. However, he could bet that the military advisors and maybe even a servant or two had had a taste of Hinata's perfect, full flesh. She could stutter as much as she liked, he would not fall for such a cheap trick. A sardonic smirk grazed his lips and he shot it right back at Hiashi and his little clique as he passed by them.

And once the _sakaki_ twigs had been laid as offering, it was truly finished. All that pompous bullshit was finally over. Only the reception and the impersonal sex were left. _Hurray_. But before Sasuke could find a way to get the hell out of the temple, Hinata turned around to face him, bowed swiftly and firmly grabbed onto his right hand, bringing it to her forehead.

He had seen Hyūga servants do as much when in presence of superiors they were to serve. However none had ever gone to so much trouble for him personally. As his hand made contact with the seal, he felt a twitch. _Chakra_. There was a substantial quantity of chakra in reserve under that seal. Made him wonder how the hell the thing worked.

"_Danna-sama_, please t-take care of me."

_Danna-sama_? Count on a Hyūga to set the terms after the contract had been signed. But he didn't mind. The archaic form of husband suited him just fine. Sasuke desired nothing but that. Distance. A world between him and this customized incubator. As she straightened up, he noticed the quiver at the corner of her mouth. Hinata had practiced saying those words over and over again. And yet, she had the impression her tongue transformed into lead as soon as opened her mouth to address the man that was standing in front of her.

Uchiha Sasuke was truly a beautiful man. Not really handsome. He lacked too much masculinity to be called handsome. But beautiful he was. And his shrewd eyes informed Hinata just how vicious he could be. She had only ever seen a handful of Uchiha in her life. The Uchiha leading couple as they were invited to some Hyūga ceremony. Their eldest son, Itachi. Uchiha Madara. And Uchiha Sasuke. She was sure of one thing however. Uchiha Madara and Uchiha Sasuke could be pooled into the same group. There was something delusional and dangerous that had shone in Madara's eyes. And that Hinata could see in Sasuke's. But her fright, her anguish, her horror she would never show him. She could be as stubborn as he could be vicious. When Hinata had brought his hand to her forehead and called him her master, she had promised herself that she would never let a man such as Uchiha Sasuke hurt her in any way.

As their party stepped outside the temple to take place for the traditional photography, both Sasuke and Hinata squinted. His eyes had become sensitive after his last battle against the Konoha forces. Hers had become sensitive after the sealing. The cold midday sun welcomed the newlyweds with a grave message.

_Blinded once, blinded forever. _

But that was their destiny. And Hinata accepted it. She was the Hyūga Clan's forsaken heir after all.

It was their destiny. And Sasuke would never accept it. He was the forsaken Uchiha Clan's heir after all.

**x.x.x.**

Hatake Kakashi and Inuzuka Hana were playing their games again. She was mocking him. But this time, it was not meant to hurt. It was meant to charm. And Inuzuka Hana could be very charming. Looking at her shielding the lower part of her face with her fan, Kakashi knew he would get some at the end of the evening. The leaders most probably thought she was plotting something behind their backs though. She was entertaining a Konoha Elder after all. But Kakashi knew better. She was shifting her glance every few minutes to verify whether he was looking at her.

He would get something good at the end of this bullshit they were all stuck attending. Or maybe, if he got lucky, they could sneak out into the garden of the _ryōkan_. You know, to practice a little bit. He had to make sure he still had it in him before giving some advice to Sasuke. Hana was exquisite; Kakashi had to admit, letting his eyes stray down the column of her throat. He had never seen her in a _kimono_, but trust the Inuzuka to go all out for a Hyūga wedding.

A fucking wedding. His sneaky little ex-student and subordinate had played him good. And count on the Hyūga not to let anything leak before the last moment. A scandal that was still shaking the village. And the country. The _daimyō_ had almost choked to death when he'd heard, at least so the rumor went. Who could have ever imagined the Hyūga would welcome the Uchiha into their lovely family?! Hyūga Hiashi had demanded his execution. And had it not been for the Inuzuka, Sasuke's pretty head would have been neatly separated from his body.

Hana had fought with such rage that even Aburame Shibi had had no other choice but to abandon his neutrality and side with her. It had been her first battle against the Council. She had won. The Konoha Elders had even decided on clemency and the Uchiha had remained for barely a year in prison. Talk about fucking lucky. Had it been anyone else … Of course, she had only done so to spite the Hyūga Clan. Maybe a lover's quarrel between Hyūga Hiashi and herself. No. Kakashi better not start thinking like that. If he let that bullshit ruin his evening, he wouldn't be able to get hard and give Hana a wild ride later. Pussy-sharing with the Hyūga leader wasn't exactly on the top of Kakashi's list of turn-ons.

Thing was, Kakashi was quite sure had Inuzuka Hana known that the Uchiha would turn around and run right to the Hyūga after two years of liberty, she would have killed him herself. Even if she played seduction games with him, opening and closing her fan, caressing her chin with it, shooting him wanton glances from under her eyelashes, Kakashi noticed how very tense she was. She wanted sex, yes. To make sure she didn't bear her fangs and go for the Uchiha's throat. It had always been between killing and fucking with Inuzuka Hana.

And honestly, this was making shit tough for him too. He had enough Hyūga to manage as it was. Kakashi didn't need for Sasuke to be transformed into one of their pawns. Plus, it raised the issue of conflict of interest. He had Hyūga ANBU guarding Sasuke whenever he wasn't on mission or in the gym. They were the only ones that could neutralize a crazed Uchiha, the war had proven as much. However, what were the odds they would obey Kakashi now that Sasuke was virtually becoming a Hyūga? Kakashi was their _būchō_. Hyūga Hiashi was more than a leader to them; he was their god, the sun of their solar system. Hyūga twenty, Kakashi zero. And the match had just started.

A waitress peeked into the reception room to announce the arrival of the newly-weds. The bride would have to undergo a change of clothes before she appeared. However, the rest of the party would be there shortly. Cue to all the Hyūga generals, the Clan leaders, the Konoha Elders shifting around, taking their respective places and preparing fake, joyful faces for the occasion. Hana began fanning herself vigorously while Aburame Shibi leaned in to whisper something to her ear. She was doing her best to keep her countenance, now that Kakashi was out of her sight.

She wouldn't try to seduce the Hyūga that had seated himself in front of her. The poor man was torn between disgust and carnal appreciation. Poor love. His dick was attempting to hijack that tumor full of prejudice that he called a brain. Then again … that would be quite a success if she got a Hyūga to beg for as much as a kiss from her. Her mother had accomplished even more. Why not Hana? Bowing her head impertinently at the Hyūga, she mockingly fluttered her eyelashes at him. Like a male turkey, he puffed up and shot her a shocked glare. Shame, he didn't know what he missed.

Aburame Shibi snickered under his breath and she turned her face to him, coquettishly raising an eyebrow and shooting him a smirk. Inuzuka Hana was a funny little thing. Not truly beautiful, but certainly very attractive. Full of life and witty, at that. No wonder a cold-hearted piece of shit like Hyūga Hiashi would let himself get lured in by her. Even the Secretary of Defense couldn't fight against her amusing little games. Dangerous little games that worried Shibi more than they diverted him. Before he had the chance to demand that she behaved, the _shōji_ to the reception room slid open. All the guests stood up at once to welcome the Hyūga Elders, leader and heir and the _Gōdaime_ they had tagged along as go-between. And the Uchiha.

The only noise that broke the solemn silence in the room was Inuzuka Hana closing her fan. It made the sound of a guillotine beheading a king. At least, so thought Nara Shikaku that found all the political implications of having an Uchiha marry a Hyūga very troublesome. The Hyūga generals, in one swift movement, brought their hands to their hearts and turned adoring eyes towards Hiashi that simply bowed his head to the assembly. The heiress scanned the room with her stony glance. The Elders flashed their carnivorous sharp teeth. And Tsunade sighed in defeat.

That got both Hana and Kakashi to frown. The _Gōdaime_ shot her right hand a significant look. Shit had gone down. That much was clear. Obviously, the Konoha Elders and the other Clan leaders intercepted the glance. For. Fuck's. Sake. Inuzuka Hana's fan made some more noise. She opened it aggressively and started frantically cooling her crimson cheeks. She honestly did not need more shit. What the fuck had happened for the _Hōkage_ to look like she had just come back from a funeral?! The Inuzuka's shrewd eyes shifted to Uchiha Sasuke. Aburame Shibi clicked his tongue and started inaudibly buzzing. Beside Hana no one would be able to hear. Her hand shot out and grabbed onto Shibi's arm. She needed to grab onto something and he needed someone to keep him from going all out on the assembly. Aburame didn't do well with stress; that was a known fact.

The Uchiha seemed placid. In fact, his expression matched Hiashi's. Side by side, they looked like father and son. Perfectly in control of their emotions. Akimichi Chōza burped. And reddened in shame. It wasn't his fault, but Hana just fanned herself more energetically. The poor Akimichi did not need any more stress in his life either. His heart swam in grease and any new shock increased the chances of a heart attack. He should retire from his position as leader of the Akimichi clan sooner rather than later and let Chōji manage all this shit. A youngster would be more successful battling with the enraged Inuzuka representative. And would easier get over all the bombshells the Hyūga dropped here and there.

And then she stepped in. The one all had been waiting for. The Uchiha's bride. Hana expected for the Akimichi to explode, for the Yamanaka to faint and the Nara to choke on his own saliva. She expected herself to go on a rampage too. Her hand slid from Shibi's arm, her pressure dropped and her fan was forgotten at that point. She recognized her immediately. It took Kakashi a while to do so too. He did not have a multipass to enter the Hyūga compound as he wished and the stunning young woman he beheld did not ring a bell at first. And then it hit him. Kakashi exhaled in shock. Tsunade raised her hand to her temple and massaged it dutifully. Fuck her miserable life. She would get mowed down by the Aburame and Inuzuka clans, she knew.

"This is … preposterous."

Hana's whisper resounded all around the room. Her eyes moved to Hiashi's. For the first time of his life he saw more than loathing in their murky depths. A reproach of course. However, unlike the Clan leaders and Konoha Elders that trembled at the idea of Hyūga Hinata being given to Uchiha Sasuke of all people, Hana was not scared. She was horrified. How could he have done something like that? That was what her eyes screamed at him.

Kakashi's heart beat faster. Hyūga Hinata. It was Hyūga Hinata. The girl that had almost gotten killed by Sasuke as she had miserably tried to stop him. It had been a ridiculous attack. No one could have imagined that Hyūga Hinata, an average _kunoichi_, could do much to stop an enraged Uchiha. And truly, it had been nothing but a suicide mission, a diversion for fifty-eight Hyūga _shinobi_ to break through the ground all around Sasuke and blind him with the most powerful flash of light that could be imagined. Sasuke had remained sightless for over two months after that attack. Kakashi, and everyone else for that matter, had thought it was over for him. Had it not been for Haruno Sakura's desperate attempts to stimulate the cells of his optical nerve to regenerate, he would have remained blind for the rest of his life.

Of course, the shock Sasuke had sustained had made him partially amnesic. He only remembered a Hyūga _shinobi_ attacking him. And a law had been passed. Under no circumstance was anyone to let filter who the Hyūga was. After all, it had been Hyūga Hiashi's daughter and he had been the one to draft the law. It had been adopted in the parliament without a word. Konoha, and _Hi no Kuni_, needed the Hyūga to rebound from war. According to Kakashi, the easiness with which the Hyūga had passed such a law, a law that benefitted them directly, had opened way for them to take over the village, the country and part of the world. Like an empire. The Hyūga Empire.

The apparition bowed her head elegantly. She was a beautiful, expressionless porcelain doll. She did not recoil at so many shocked glances being directed her way as the real Hinata would have. The smile that pulled at her pulp, pink lips was as fake as could be. The only thing that spoke of her ever having felt anything were the fine, red veins that colored her blank eyes. Her new _kimono_ impressed. Pink and blue. The colors of twilight. Her hair was pulled in a simple bun held by an insignificant ornament that passed unnoticed. But what shocked the most was the seal that shone on her forehead. That seal had been at the center of a global scandal barely a year ago. And now this?! The Hyūga were real fucking attention whores!

"I thank you, honorable Konoha Elders, Clan leaders, Hatake-san and Inuzuka-san. I thank you, dear friends, for joining my family and myself in the celebration of my eldest daughter's marriage to Uchiha Sasuke, son of Uchiha Fugaku and heir to the Uchiha name."

And now, everything made sense. Hana had wondered why the hell she of all people would be invited to Uchiha Sasuke's wedding. Okay, her mother had been called. Still. Uchiha Sasuke was not intimate with the Inuzuka. And had he married some unregistered servant as had been announced, it would have been of no consequence to the village, really. Now, the fact the unregistered servant was a Hyūga had made Hana curious enough to come and to dress nicely at that. But she still hadn't understood why the hell she ended up surrounding by all the most important dignitaries of the village, while the Uchiha's little bunch of misfits were nowhere to be seen. At least now, she fucking knew why. Uchiha Sasuke had married Hyūga Hiashi's daughter. Who had been Kiba's beloved teammate. She had been like a second sister to him. And the same could have been said about Aburame Shino's relationship with Hinata. Hana and Shibi tensed at the very thought of what the whole village would be talking about first thing in the morning.

Husband and wife took place on a platform at the head of the banquet table. The Hyūga Elders, leader and heiress sat at the table as well and all the stunned guests followed suite. Cue to the servants rushing in with all types of foods. And alcohol. Plenty of alcohol. The generals were already rubbing their hands at all that was coming their way. Looking at the rest of the guests, they were quite sure that bunch of pussies would not as much as take a bite. _Pff_. A pretty girl, a little scandalous they had to admit, was enough to outrage a room full of high dignitaries.

As the leaders, Konoha Elders and Kakashi uncomfortably shifted on their _tatami_, the Hyūga generals dug in, exchanging smiles, raising cups to the beautiful bride and being a joyful bunch all in all. Hinata smiled too. But her smile did not falter, change. In fact, no one present in the room would have ever thought that she was smiling.

Hanabi however grimaced a lot. She could not. She could not accept it. In a few hours, in this same, luxurious _ryōkan_, property of the Hyūga Clan of course, her sister would retire with Uchiha Sasuke and they would … Hanabi remembered Kō's eyes as he had tied her sister's hair and offered her the very ornament she was wearing at the moment. The hatred in those eyes, the anguish and the accusation. It had been love, rebuked love, agonizing love. Compared to Uchiha Sasuke's cold, expressionless eyes. The dark eyes of a shark that had sensed blood.

And Hinata. Oh, Hinata. It was Hanabi's fault, she knew. Had it not been for her, Hinata would have not been sealed. Had it not been for Hanabi she would have not been given to the Uchiha. To that soulless heap of flesh that examined the room with arrogance and displeasure. She had been no sister to Hinata. And she had been no heiress to the Hyūga Clan, permitting such an injustice. Looking at the distress behind her sister's fake smile and her seemingly expressionless visage, Hanabi knew that Hinata could not escape it. Hanabi had been too small to understand, only seven years of age. But Neji had been right. They could not escape their fate. Hinata could not escape her fate. She would only change of cage.

They had all lied to her. They had all told her she would be free. When in fact, the only one who would be free would be the Elders. Free to do what they had always done. Use the Clan to control the village. Use the village to control the country. Use the country to control the world. And Hanabi would be their tool. A second choice however. Had Hinata not demanded to be sealed, Hanabi would have been sacrificed. And she would not have had a Hyūga Kō to save her.

Speeches were made. Generals laughed and in their elation showered Hinata in praise and shamed the Uchiha with their mockery. Hiashi offered a few cunning compliments to both the groom and the bride. The Elders took turns in bullshitting the audience with their moralities. Even Tsunade, completely drunk at that point, had slurred a few words that had not sounded all that complimentary to those that understood. Kakashi had refrained, only shooting incendiary glares at Sasuke.

Uchiha Sasuke. He was a sight to behold. Calm. But tense. Not drinking, not eating, not speaking. A shark. The way Hanabi had seen him. And then came the moment. The moment the newly-weds gave their guests gifts. Gifts of the best quality, antiques imported by the Hyūga, invaluable. Hinata offered them graciously. The leaders accepted them as if they were dangerous, trying not to meet the gaze of the pretty bride.

However as came the turn of Aburame Shibi and Inuzuka Hana, everything about Hinata's front crumbled. Her tremors that all had noticed and none had dared to comment on increased exponentially. She did not know what it was that she was passing them, but her glassy eyes shone with so much fire that Inuzuka Hana was more than willing to make a scandal of her own. Yet Aburame Shibi's hand on her shoulder was a heavy reminder of where she was and how she had to behave.

"Inuzuka-s-san, Aburame-s-san …"

Hinata should have thanked them for their presence. She should have coolly smiled at them. But she could not. Because these people had been part of her childhood. These people had been her closest, dearest friends. Inuzuka Hana had been good to her, in that way only an older sister could be. She had talked to Hinata's twelve-year old self as to an equal. Inuzuka Hana had always been … affectionate towards Hinata. And the way she looked at her at the moment … Hinata could not …

It slipped. In front of them all. In front of Uchiha Sasuke's eyes (not that he noticed, being drilled by Tsunade et the very moment), the mask slipped. Her eyes watered. Her voice broke.

"P-please accept this p-present as a thank you for your c-care and p-patience."

At those words, and without giving a shit about the gift she was being handed, Inuzuka Hana produced a card from her _obi_ and threw it carelessly on the table. Yamanka Inoichi reached for it and brought it to his eyes, examining it with interest.

"Be kind enough to pass it to Hyūga Hiashi-san. It is a message from my mother who desires the Hyūga Clan and Uchiha-san to forgive her absence."

As Hyūga Hiashi took it from Inoichi, a muscle jumped in his jaw. From a western deck of cards. The _King of Spades_. He could not escape Inuzuka Tsume. Not even on the wedding of his first born. Well, not exactly the first born.

Kakashi sighed to himself. He didn't need to look at Hana to know he wouldn't get any after all. Uchiha Sasuke truly had a way to make his life miserable. It must have been his favorite pastime, honestly.

**x.x.x.**

Clad in a black yukata, Sasuke marched through the halls of the _ryōkan_, closely followed by a solemn Hyūga Hiashi and an irate Hyūga Hanabi. Both the leader and the heiress bristled, but for completely different reasons. Sasuke himself was not in a good mood. He had alcohol in the system, his stomach heaved and the knowledge that he would have to get it up in front of the leader and the heiress was a real turn-off. Sure, they wouldn't follow him into the room. But hey, they had the _Byakugan_. X-ray vision and whatnot. Fuck him, honestly.

He was ready. He could do this. Sasuke would find a way. The servants in front of the _shōji_ that lead to Hinata were prepared to slide it open. But Hiashi wasn't set to let the Uchiha slip into the room just of yet. Before Sasuke could nod his head to the servants as signal, Hiashi grabbed his arm and got him to turn around. Fuck off, old piece of shit. Sasuke didn't have the patience for any Hyūga BS. He was pissed, he was trapped. He was a wolf that debated whether to bite off his own paw for freedom.

"The union needs to be consumed; do I make myself clear, Uchiha?"

For whom did Hyūga Hiashi take Sasuke?! Was he implying that the Uchiha would not know where to shove his dick, or something along those lines?! Or even better, did he imply Sasuke couldn't get it up?!

"I will do my best to carry out this chore to the best of my abilities. In the name of the Hyūga Clan."

It was Hanabi's turn to bite. She would never permit for anyone to call her sister, her flesh and blood, a chore. Puffing up, straightening her back as much as possible, she took a Napoleonic pose, her hand in her _obi_ and her chin kicked up. Her voice must have resounded throughout the whole inn. Way of shaming Uchiha Sasuke in the middle of the village. But that had been the goal.

"Just for all the parties to know. If by tomorrow, the union has not been consumed, the wedding will be dissolved."

Sasuke could imagine that her triumphant message had filtered through the thin rice paper of the _shōji_. And that Hinata had not lost a word of it. Yeah, well, princess, Sasuke would make sure that didn't happen. He had a reputation to uphold. He would certainly not shame himself and his clan's name by having Hyūga Hinata, inconsequential little servant girl of the Hyūga family, demand for any type of dissolution.

One movement of his head and the sliding doors were being pulled aside. Not even turning around, he marched into the room, livid and blinded by anger. And as the doors glided behind him, it hit him.

She was seated in a corner of the room, dressed in a pale _yukata_. Her luxurious hair had been braided and hung heavily over her shoulder. It was the beast that he had come in to slay. And as her eyes remained glued on the _futon_ in front of her, Uchiha Sasuke realized. He realized that she did not entice him. But at all. Sure, she was beautiful, like any Hyūga girl.

Whoever had dressed her had purposefully arranged the _yukata_ to give Hinata's husband a good view of her generous cleavage. The belt around her waist had been pulled to the point Sasuke wondered how she could breath. Obviously, they had wanted to underline how small her waist was. And to bring to expression her most enticing curves.

He would have to fuck her. He should have at least felt a twitch. For fuck's sake, he would have been ready to service any of the ANBU girls had they as much as given him a sign. And here he was in front of one of the most stereotyped Konoha fantasies … and he couldn't get it up. Uchiha Sasuke, you fucking pussy, you are about to get inside a Hyūga girl, wake the fuck up! But no, not really. This wasn't the fantasy. This girl was completely asexual unlike the Hyūga ANBU.

Those chicks, even if they were pretty rough around the edges, knew the effect they had on men. Sure, they would never as much as touch a non-Hyūga. But they loved to tease pricks. They looked all frigid on the outside, but the way they walked, the way they smirked and even the way they moved during trainings said it all. They liked the attention and did much to get it. Hell, Sasuke had seen Kakashi lose his cool in front of them. Okay, Kakashi was a pervert, so maybe he wasn't the best example. And sure, there were rumors about this or that guy having tried his luck at forcefully taking one of them. They had ended up in the hospital for months, so the legend went.

But this thing that was seated in front of him had nothing to do with such girls. She was a statue. A statue that simply stood up and shot him one of those eerie glances that went right through him without seeing him. He had to keep his cool. Because the way things were going, the only result would be him feeling disgust for Hinata. Ever tried having an erection fueled on disgust? Good luck with that.

She slowly laid herself on the futon, opened her legs slightly. Her quivering hands however went for the lapels of her _yukata_ to keep them together as much as possible. She was trembling as usual. Turning her head to the left, she hid her face from his view. So, this is how it would go. This was what Sasuke had expected and wanted. He was just astonished that his dick didn't react one bit. He had fucking had girls that were as exciting as dead fish before. This wasn't new, for God's sake. However, the difference had been that even the prude ones had wanted him. What castrated him at the moment was the vibe Hinata was giving off.

She opened her legs like an automat, turned her head away so he would not have to look at her. At least that was what she wanted him to believe. Sasuke knew better though. She turned her head for her own benefit. She didn't want to look at the man that would take her. This must have been how political marriages went all over the world, right? Just that stories never showcased a husband that wasn't able to service the wife. Hell, that wasn't even able to get an erection.

She didn't want him. Hinata would have liked him as far as possible from her. For the first time of his life, Uchiha Sasuke was not desired by a woman. And that is why he had chosen her in the first place. He had wanted a sinless doll. Pure void. And he had mostly gotten that. Sure she had a few lapses here and there and sometimes glimpses of life seeped through the shell, but those were aberrations. Why the fuck was Sasuke bitch'n'moaning about it then?!

Hatred ensnared his heart. Looking at that lifeless body, that lifeless body he had chosen himself, Uchiha Sasuke felt hatred towards Hyūga Hinata. She did not want him to come close. She submitted to him, she called him her master and yet there was a kernel of iron will in the midst of all that fake compliance. He did not appreciate it.

She waited. Hinata had no idea how things went. Of course, she was quite aware what sex implied. She had had a foretaste with Kō. And she was quite sure she did not want for a repeat with Uchiha Sasuke. With Kō it had been intimate, it had been loving. It had been her only chance at a little bit of softness, of affection … And she would never beg Uchiha for as much.

He had no other choice. He was completely unable to get it up. And that is how he decided on doing the most humiliating thing in his life. There were two types of impotent _shinobi_. Those that had the guts to get a prescription for _Viagra_ and those that used chakra as a little enhancer. The wedding had to be consumed. There was no other choice but to get this over with, one way or another. After that, Sasuke would have all the time in the world to debate on where to find some fierce porn whenever he needed to service Hyūga Hinata.

To his greatest shame, he did something he would have never imagined to need. Concentrating all his chakra to his lower body, he felt his dick harden. And not because he was getting all hot. God, kill Sasuke now. He needed a layer of hydration because he couldn't very well imagine Hinata's insides to be welcoming at the moment. And having his foreskin torn off his dick wasn't a great wedding gift, at least according to him.

Sasuke approached Hinata's body. Her perfume hit him in the guts. That same old perfume that brought back strange, blurry memories. Green tea, incense, sandalwood, lavender, even vanilla. Tremors shook her upper body. Her damaged nerves, most probably. Certainly not any type of fear. Her hair was a thick rope that lay like a limp body on the cushion of the _futon_.

Had she been alive, she would have been lovely. Warm. Desirable. She would have been everything a man could imagine when thinking about perfection.

But dead as she was, she could only provoke repulsion. That was Sasuke's last thought before he fell on his knees between her legs. He saw her stiffen. His presence was everything but welcome. And guess what, sweetie, he wasn't all that excited about all this shit himself. He was mostly annoyed. Sasuke did his best to keep his eyes glued to the wall in front of him, as he pushed aside the lapels of his _yukata_.

The cold air hit his sensitive member. The chakra he was sending under his belt made things so much more difficult. He was numb inside and sore outside. This was such bullshit. In a movement of irritation, he moved Hinata's hands aside, grabbing onto her thighs and opening them wider. Sasuke had not noticed the dirty bandage around her right wrist or the way she brought it to her mouth.

Turning his own head to the side, he guided his sex passed her _yukata_ and between her thighs. He bit down on his molars. She bit down on the bandage around her wrist. He thought about how he was doing this in honor of his family. She thought about Neji. And Kō.

The faster the better. They both wanted to get this over with. The heat of her chore burned at his tip before he violently pushed his member in. And froze. She squealed softly. Sasuke did not turn his head to look at the tears that rolled down her thick, long eyelashes. Hinata did not close her eyes though. She kept them fixed on the _shōji _leading to the garden. So this was how it went. He twitched inside of her. Of horror, most probably.

A virgin. Sasuke had felt himself break through her hymen. A virgin. He had deflowered a girl with the body of a temptress. His stomach heaved and he felt all the alcohol he had ingurgitated rush to his mouth. He lost his focus and as soon as the chakra flow to his dick was interrupted, his member went limp and slid outside of Hinata's chore.

As soon as he pushed himself off of her, her hands shot out and the lapels of her _yukata_ got pulled around her legs, shielding her from another attack. Hinata sat up immediately, keeping her head turned. She passed the dirty bandage on her wrist over her eyes. Uchiha Sasuke would not see her tears. He had taken her by surprise. She had expected him to go … slower. Not … that way.

"Ano … _d-danna-s-sama_ … permit m-me to refresh myself."

He did not answer. Turned towards the entrance _shōji_, Sasuke did not have the nerve to turn around and look at the girl, yes, girl, he had misused. What girl of nineteen, what Konoha _kunoichi_ passed the age of fifteen, could claim to be a virgin on her wedding night?! Virginity was goods that sold for the high price. But rare were the girls that were allowed to keep it. Usually, an older sister, a mother took care of that. One swift movement with a blunt object and it was all over.

Like with Hinata.

He listened to her scampering up and rushing towards the front of the room. Servants of the _ryōkan_ awaited on the other side of yet another damn _shōji_. As she slid it open, he finally let his eyes stray towards Hinata. The doors were glided back. But there isn't much rice paper could conceal. He saw the shadows of two women rush towards what was Hinata's silhouette. As they undressed her, Sasuke was left to admire the form. Strange little play of shadows he was stuck staring at.

He had mistaken Hyūga Hinata for a woman. He had taken her convinced that he would be nothing but another notch at her belt. Uchiha Sasuke had had his first virgin on his wedding night. Oh, the cliché. He should have known better than to believe a pristine doll like Hyūga Hinata could have been used beforehand.

Sasuke had wanted an automat, a puppet. He had taken Hyūga Hiashi's eldest because she reminded him of a plain of snow. Cold. Pure. White. He had only let a few droplets of blood fall on the snow, is all. It was not a _sin_. She was his lawful wife. And yet, he felt dirty.

Can a girl's first blood stain a man's soul?


	5. A Girl's Blood

**[A/N] **

**IMPORTANT****: There is no SasuHana. There ****NEVER**** was any SasuHana. There never will be any SasuHana. Please, either read the chapters. Either don't. Unless I tell you you can easily skip parts … I would honestly suggest you didn't because I am a retard that just shoves important shit everywhere and anywhere. **

**Ok. To all my reviewers … I am … speechless, I guess. I received some of the most powerful messages ever. I feel that so many of you understand the characters better than I do. And this just goes a great way to prove that authors are nothing but tools characters use to express their own individuality. **

**rndomfan, Azeyma, Sadie321, Rena-Nakamura, lilacblossom, A sunny place for Sasuke, lookingforEmile, SarahiNia, kawaii-sama, Kibachow, Akhlys, Lila-me, wth is this shit (yes, even you), MsChifSantos, DaOneInDaCorner, Guest, Aki-chan, Yudoku Kabe-No-Hana.**

**You guys, the characters, the followers and favoriters make it happen. Make this fic live, breathe. I only regret not being able to truly honor you and the fic the way you deserve. Ok, I am going to make a pussy out of myself and cry.**

**Disclaimer – Everything I do or plan to do has already been done by lookingforEmile in her newest fic (that is going to be a hit, I would say) "Could this be love?" People, read it! This is what TFH should have been.**

**Other little jewels I have discovered, MsChifSantos' fics and oneshots. I knew about the fics. But the oneshots are just jaw-dropping. Go read.**

**Azy and Rena. Publish. No, shush … I said shush … and publish. I am waiting.**

**DaOneInDaCorner, if you are reading this, the answer is hell yes. Just let me finish my other fic. And honestly, we need to discuss this, because the only image I have in my head is Sasuke waking up, not realizing he is in the Uchiha compound, having to go to the washroom and realizing his dick has shrunk. And freaking out, obviously xD**

**About this chapter, depressing title, lighthearted content. Never wrote something as lighthearted in my life.**

**Part 1 – Sasuke guilt-triping. Do not skip.**

**Part 2 – Kurenai and her kid. You can skip.**

**Part 3 – Why Sasuke and Hinata would make good parents. You can skip.**

**Part 4 – Hinata guilt-triping. Do not skip**

**This is a vacation chapter. I was sick of politics. They are coming back next chapter. So is Kō. Sasuke/Kō showoff? We will see.**

**I am going to start moving away from Inuzuka Hana, not because people freak out about her. But because her role is mostly political, on both the Konoha and Hyūga scene and I want to focus more on the Hinata/Sasuke part of it. **

**However, since a lot of you guys seem to appreciate Hana and want to read more about her, do you want me to make a spinoff fic and to write this story on two perspectives? The inside Konoha perspective with Hana. The outside Konoha perspective with Hinata? Obviously, the updating rate would be slower though.**

**Finally, happy holidays my loves! I will try to update before Christmas though.**

**Oh and warning, the chapter is not proofread. I have finales starting next week so this is somewhat all over the place. But still, SasuHina.**

…

**The Forsaken Heirs**

_Chapter 5_

A Girl's Blood

_By_

_Voyna_

Uchiha Sasuke eating at the dining table was the rarest sight to behold. Each and every time he left for a mission, Hinata almost expected for Uzumaki Naruto to materialize at the door a few days later to announce that the Uchiha had disappeared into the wilderness.

Humiliation burned in Hinata's bosom as she looked at Sasuke efficiently making food vanish. One month. They had been married for one month now. One long, excruciating month.

Excruciating shouldn't have been the word though. If there was one thing she could not reproach her father, sister and Kō was that they had lied. Uchiha Sasuke was truly an absent man. And his absences were the best thing about him. She didn't miss him, she did not desire for him to prolong his stays at _home_. He had spent all in all about five days at their apartment since they moved in. Sleeping a few hours by her side mostly.

That was where the problem lied. Humiliation screamed through her body and her quivers became a painful tremolo that shook more than her upper-body. It had shaken up her already pretty low self-esteem.

He _slept_. And the compound laughed. And the compound mocked Hinata. Hanabi had told her what had been said behind her back. Every evening or so, Hanabi came to visit and torture Hinata. Not on purpose obviously. Fourteen-year old Hanabi believed she was giving Hinata a heads up. And she was right. But honestly, Hinata did not need to hear each and every detail of what was being said about her. Nothing pleasant, all in all.

Unable to please her husband. The Uchiha doesn't even touch her. _Ha_. How amusing that Hyūga Hiashi's daughter, _the_ Hyūga Hinata, couldn't even induce her womanizer of a husband to look at her. The snide little servant girls must have been quite satisfied with her discomfiture. And she didn't know what to do. Hyūga Hinata did not know how to persuade _that_ man to take her. Had he not wanted children?! This ridiculous deal between the Hyūga and Uchiha Sasuke had been struck because of that, hadn't it?! So why?!

And she could not very well imagine herself being intimate with Uchiha Sasuke as she had been with … Kō. Kō who had not asked of her, Kō about whom Hanabi never spoke. Forsaken. She had been forsaken. Forsaken by all. And she had hoped that … Uchiha Sasuke would give her reason. Any reason. Even if it came in the form of a child. And yet …

She regretted. Hinata had so much to regret. The most recent and painful mortification had come when she had mustered all her courage, let her clothes fall in a pool on the bedroom's floor and tried to slide under the covers of their bed. Sasuke had bolted out of the bedroom. And had not come back. He had slept on the living room sofa. A cold, disagreeable leather sofa no less. She wanted to scream.

He did not speak either. The only words she had heard out of his mouth were the length of his missions and when he was leaving. That was all she would get from Uchiha Sasuke. Dates. Stupid dates. And what to say about their _couple_ life?! Well, first of all, they were certainly not a couple. They were roommates. Not even. Roommates at least knew something about each other. She knew nothing about him.

After his trainings, he came to the apartment, took a shower, changed clothes, ate, grabbed his sports bag and disappeared through the front door until the wee hours of the morning. He came back, took another shower, put on thick clothes to protect himself from his _wife_ and slid under the covers. As far away as possible from Hinata. Good thing they had a giant bed.

And the compound laughed. They all knew. And she cried in the night. She wanted to take a _kunai_ and scratch that face of hers beyond recognition. She wanted to beg him and to humiliate herself, degrade herself. Just not to have her father call her to him. That was the next step. The whole ANBU unit knew. For shame, Uchiha Sasuke accepted _jōnin_ missions! He accepted B-ranked missions just to get away from her! The Generals mocked. The servants triumphed. The Elders moralized. Her father raged. Hanabi approved. To hell with all of them.

As if he was reading her thoughts, she saw Uchiha Sasuke tense and drop his chopsticks on the plate. His hands formed fists. He stared at the glass of water that was placed in front of him. She almost expected the intensity of his glare to make the water boil.

If only she had known. If only she had known what went through his mind. Why he did his best to desperately avoid her glances. And her touch. Had she known, she might have been more understanding. She might have forgiven. But he would never tell her.

The only thing he could do was eat the food she prepared and disappear from her life as much as humanly possible. Not touch her. Not look at her. Not talk to her. Be nothing but a fleeting, disagreeable presence. Like a whiff of a foul smell that vanished as it had appeared.

He knew the food must have been delicious. Yet, the only taste that filled Sasuke's mouth was metallic. The taste of iron. The taste of blood. He needed out. He needed fucking out. He could not stay in the dining room with her seated in front of him. Immobile, servile. Ready to jump up at every occasion he would give her to attend to him. He could not bear her perfume that saturated the air around them.

And reminded him. Reminded him of his flesh inside of her and her perfume curling around him. A shiver ran down his spine. He might end up vomiting all over Hinata if he didn't get to the entrance door presto.

Sasuke needed to put himself through his paces. He needed to feel his muscles scream of pain, his breath hitch in his throat and sweat burn his eyes. He would head to the gym. Again. Spend hours in it until the owner kicked him the fuck out as had become their ritual. He needed to forget. There was too much he needed to forget. And Hinata's presence just brought all that back. Rubbed his nose into it.

Raising his head, he got a glimpse of her. Do. Not. Fucking. Look. At. Her. And yet, his eyes stayed a split of a second too long. Her head lowered in submission, she seemed to be lost in her own thoughts. Unyielding as per usual. She was doing her best to block him out the same way he tried to do with her. Her eyelashes played shadow games on her cheekbones. That he had noticed a long while ago. Her long, black hair seemed to engulf her pale face. A natural shield or something along those lines.

And she raised her eyes to his. Their glances met. Hers did not waver. So empty. But Sasuke wasn't stupid as he had been. That empty gaze that held his was not dead. He had believed Hyūga Hinata to be dead. And he had taken her like an animal. When in fact … Everything about her spoke of life, life he hadn't wanted to acknowledge for his own benefit. He had purposefully chosen to ignore every bit of humanity about Hyūga Hinata. He had been more than willing to relegate her to the rank of object. And _karma_ came to bitch-slap him. Big time.

Uchiha Sasuke had always had standards. Even as a criminal. There were things he did and things he did not do. He killed. Men. Women. He wasn't even sure whether he would hesitate to kill a child. As long as it was fast, clean and unexpected. He never tortured intentionally. He did his best to get it over with as fast as possible. Sometimes he succeeded, other times it took longer than expected. And those times he regretted. Seeing fear in a dying man's eyes felt like a personal failure. Fear was the worst form of torture, Sasuke could tell you that much.

Another thing Uchiha Sasuke never did was rape.

He did his best to suppress a gagging reflex. Examining Hyūga Hinata's face, he saw the reproach. Fuck him, he was hallucinating. However, he was sure that those pale, expressionless eyes screamed at him. And he heard it, as if it had just happened. The muffled, pained shriek that had escaped her as he had pierced through her hymen. It resonated in his ears, driving him crazy. Some fucker had pushed the _repeat_ button on that shriek. It resonated over and over again in his head. Until it became an agonizing scream. A scream he remembered too well. Someone else's scream.

You'd think that a year and a half would be plenty enough to forget something like that. A fucking lifetime wasn't enough. He had been in the riot unit for a short time. They had needed men and Kakashi had sent Sasuke to tame the devil in him. And to get him away from Naruto for a while. Kakashi didn't trust Sasuke's ass and Sasuke couldn't say he blamed him.

It had been before the Oto putsch. Konoha had simply marched into Oto with all its machinery of war. The orders had been simple. Annihilate. Of course they had been sold all that war rhetoric that no one in the forces bought. Protect _Hi no Kuni_'s freedom. Fight the terrorists. Liberate Oto. Bla bla. Fancy-pantsy shit-talk for _kill_. So that Konoha could get in and take over. Feed its greedy clans. Build an empire.

The riot unit. The worst of ANBU. Those were not cold-blooded killers. Those were psychopaths. ANBU that were good for the kill, that had done too much sick shit. Rabid dogs that needed to be put down. But ever so useful in situations of war. You could unleash them and they would destroy everything. Fucking grasshoppers in a wheat field. Give them five minutes and nothing would be left. And Sasuke had not been any different. He had killed until he couldn't remember his own name. But he had always remained special. Something like an expensive prescription weapon. He wasn't crazy enough. Not lawless, godless enough.

He had been kept for the Oto _shinobi_. Civilians were off-limits. Unleashed like a plague on men and women that did their best to protect what protected could be. He had not asked what their ideals were. Why they went against him. He had not wondered whether he was not in fact the aggressor in the story. He wouldn't ask such shit even today. What the fuck did he care about politics as long as he could go wild and let the beast in him roar?! He'd learned his lesson. And maybe, somewhere deep inside of him, Uchiha Sasuke did not want someone else to succeed where he had failed. After all, it was a revolution Oto had been calling for.

That one night, he had gone overboard. Destroyed a battalion by himself. That was what being Uchiha Sasuke meant. It was much easier to kill a mass of _shinobi_ coming your way than to kill one lone _ninja_ hiding somewhere around you. And he had massacred at least seventy-eight in one shot. He remembered having returned to _Otogakure_ covered in blood.

Konoha had taken the fortress, pushing all the _shinobi_ out and the Oto forces had been stuck attacking their own village from the outside. You could count on an ex-_Root_ to pull such filthy shit off.

He had never liked that fucker Sai. The guy looked all sweet and cute on the outside but was more than a monster on the inside. And being under his orders had been an ass-burner. But if there was one thing the guy knew, it was how to take over a village full of _shinobi_. And it is through Sai's village (as they called it in the unit) he had walked that night. Sweaty. The smell of iron making him nauseous. Blood dripping down his _katana_.

The streets had been deserted. No civilian would have had the guts to as much as peek outside of his house while the Konoha forces did their thing. Silence had prevailed. You could have heard a fucking fly buzzing around. But that was not what Sasuke had heard. Even if he had been ready to crash somewhere and sleep it out, his ears had never been more attuned to his surroundings.

Muffled screams. High-pitched. And then some horrible gurgle. Still today he had no idea what had induced him to look for the origin of those awful shrieks. He had heard screams before. In fact, the only thing you could hear in the riot forces were screams of pain and grunts of satisfaction. There was nothing holier to those assholes than a kill. But these shrieks, so shrill, so piercing and periodically interrupted by wet burbles were different.

Pulling his sword along, leaving a bloody trail behind himself, Sasuke had turned into that godforsaken alley. And what he had seen he would never forget.

A girl's blood could truly stain a man's soul.

She had been young. So very young. Maybe ten. At best. Nailed to the ground. With an ANBU _katana_ piercing her throat and maintaining her in place. There had been so much blood, a puddle of blood all around her dark hair. Like a fucking halo. A red halo.

Three Konoha ANBU … And that little girl that could do nothing but splutter blood. A slow painful death while they …

He had killed them. Sasuke had killed them. He had not thought twice. And looking back to it, he regretted.

He regretted not having gone against his own standards and taken it slow. Sasuke should have started with their nails. Torn them out one by one. Then taken care of every joint of their body. Slowly. Cut off every piece while keeping them alive. He should have kept the torture going for days, as long as it was humanly possible.

And then, he had looked into her eyes. Knowing full well he shouldn't have. They had been dark with the slaughter of innocence. Cold. Unyielding. Those had not been the eyes of a child. But the eyes of a doll that screamed that they would never have her soul, whatever they did to her body. That's when he had blacked out. Had he killed her, putting an end to her torment? Or had he walked away, leaving her to die at the end of her blood?

He had no fucking idea. The only thing he knew was that Sai had taken all his rage out on him. That Uchiha dickhead had gotten rid of three of his best _men_. For what?! For some inconsequential girl that had chosen the wrong moment to be walking through the streets?!

Sasuke had been sent back to Konoha. With the threat of martial court hanging over his head. But of course, count on Tsunade to find a way to go _hush_, _hush_ on the whole affair.

Mitarashi Anko had just entered _Hi no Kuni_'s Parliament and the _daimyō_ had been very nervous at the idea of the Workers and Farmers' Party gaining a new wave of support. It had all to do with the fact they elected a _kunoichi_ at their head. A novelty for that people's party that was a little too liberal for the Progressive Conservatives. The very party that backed the _daimyō_ and was financed in great part by Hyūga money.

The Workers had been against war with Oto. They had had out-of-country backing from the _Kazekage_ who had refused for _Sunagakure_ to have any role in it. And had immediately called back all Suna _shinobi_ that would have participated in joint military exercises with Konoha. Had that Mitarashi bitch heard anything about what had gone down in _Otogakure_ and the Uchiha's implication, she would have gone on a riot of her own. And with her millions of factory workers and poor farmers. No one, but no one, needed that.

Sasuke had been reinstated in Kakashi's ANBU forces and given a tracker position in a trinome. Naruto, Sakura and him. Together again. Not that it had made Kakashi happy, mind you. Whatever, the order had come from above and he had had no other choice but to obey. The good thing with Sasuke was that he was so fucked up that no one even noticed he had come back even more fucked up than before.

And he hadn't noticed either until now. He had thought he had been good, tight inside. He had never been so wrong. Hinata's eyes did not waver the few seconds they held his. Unyielding. Cold. Telling him she would give her body, but keep her soul locked behind them forever. How had he not noticed?! How the fuck had Sasuke not noticed?! For God's sake.

For over seven years of his life, Sasuke had woken up every morning believing two things. Having only two standards to base his whole life on. He did not torture and he did not rape. And here he beheld a proof that he had done both.

Hinata's lips parted for a split of an instant as if she were about to say something, but she closed her mouth shut. And her broken yelp reverberated, louder than ever, through his skull. He had raped her. He had even prepared for the rape. And so had she. He had tried to rationalize it. He had tried to accuse her of it. And even now, the only reason he truly realized what he had done was because she had been a virgin. Had she not been one, had she not cried out, had she not bled, would he have ever understood the evil he had committed?

Sasuke wanted to say _yes_. However he doubted it. He should have known where this would lead. He should have not judged that a woman, however many or few men she had had in her life, was willing to just open her legs to the first stranger that came by. He had seen _Bunke_ Hyūga children. Their surprised, fascinated pale eyes as they looked at him. And he knew what their fucking destiny would be. Hyūga Hinata's fucking destiny.

Had anyone even asked her whether she wanted him? Or had she been coerced, manipulated threatened into leaving with him?! For fuck's sake, during six fucking months everything about her had screamed her refusal.

He was no different than those three ANBU he had killed. No different. It was maybe _karma_'s punishment for him not remembering what he had done of that little girl. She came back to haunt him. She stared at him through his _wife_'s pale eyes. And so did Itachi. The same impassiveness to hide tears, resolutions and frightening memories.

And before he had stepped into that damned _Shintō _temple, Sasuke had told himself that he would one day wake up to realize he had lived a lie. He had hoped it would take years, decades. Not that one thrust would be enough to make him snap out of his delusions and crash into a wall of reality. Of humanity, flesh and blood. And that no perfumes and no salves would be able to cleanse his hands from all that blood.

Sasuke pushed himself away from the table. Violently. Standing up, his chair fell over but he didn't go to the trouble of picking it up. He was leaving for a mission at five a.m. He had been supposed to take a good night's sleep and disappear with his teammates for three weeks. A diplomatic mission, protect some ambassador's ass and whatnot. Plan change. He was going out. He was disappearing now. Sasuke needed out now.

Hinata didn't say a word. Had she only known. She might have forgiven. But she did not know, and most probably would never. Hence, she was left behind. Her lower lip slid between her teeth and she bit hard so that he would not hear the moan that threatened to escape. The Uchiha had wanted her, he had demanded her and now he didn't touch her. The only thing he had done for the last month was leave her behind, confused and forsaken. And with her ego bruised.

She sighed. And another few weeks of isolation in perspective. Hinata did not go out. Had she as much as stepped a foot out of the buildings reception, a curious crowd would have gathered to just get a glimpse of the woman Uchiha Sasuke had married. A Hyūga, no less. Hyūga Hinata of _all_ people.

As she heard the entrance door being slammed shut, Hinata finally let go of all her rage. She moaned. Not in anguish, not in sorrow. But from mortification. Why had he married her if she disgusted him so much?! It most probably had something to do with their wedding night. It could be nothing else.

Hyūga Hinata had always known that she would never be able to truly please a man. At least, a man such as Uchiha Sasuke. What she had not known was just how pained she would be.

But it was the proper of Sasuke to leave behind tears and blood. He did not turn around to take a good look at what type of tumult he had created. In short, he was immature. He acted on impulse; he proclaimed ideals he did not uphold. Each one of his deeds ended up as a double-edged sword. However, at the very least, after all the things he had done, all the people he had slain, all the promises he had broken, he was still able to feel shame and guilt.

Of course, having the scream of a tortured child follow you around doesn't really help with getting your head out of your ass. In fact, he wanted to go atomic ostrich and just push it in deeper. As he walked through the hallway, he decided he would not be a fucking pussy and take the elevator. Fuck it; he was Uchiha Sasuke, . And he honestly needed to exhaust himself. He didn't care one bit about the mission they had. It could go to hell. That was the type of shit he could pull off alone, with a blindfold over his eyes and an arm tied to his back. But of course, he would be stuck with his fucking crew of misfits.

Flashing his magnetic card in front of the door leading to the stairs, he wondered just how crappy their building was. Twenty-four seven security, one apartment per floor, cameras everywhere. An ugly, postmodern skyscraper in the middle of downtown Konoha. It sucked dicks. 'Scuse the language. Running down the stairs, he did his best to internally bitch about anything. Bitching was good. Bitching made him forget … but only for a few seconds.

Hinata's eyes haunted him, didn't leave him any peace. They pulled at all the strings in his stomach and he considered it a true miracle he hadn't just vomited all over himself at the very thought of her. Not that she disgusted him. He disgusted himself.

Okay, he was not going to go psychoanalyst on his own ass. Just fourteen more floors to run down. He could have dematerialized sure, but what would have been the benefit of it?! His sports bag jumping by his side, he tensed as he saw the security cameras follow his every step. He was living a bad _sci-fi_ movie. And of course, this way Hyūga Hiashi would know everything about his whereabouts. Fuck Sasuke's life, seriously. He didn't need his _in-laws_ to excite themselves on his ass. But he wasn't stupid enough not to expect for the Hyūga to appear at his door. The Hyūga ANBU were terribly nervous around him. They startled whenever he moved. And he could just imagine how they reported his every move to the Elders. His life wasn't a _sci-fi_ movie; it was a fucking TV reality show.

It might have had to do with the fact that Sasuke was as free as could be now that he had married into the Hyūga household, but virtually everyone shook with fright whenever he passed by. Everyone knew full well there were no Hyūga ANBU to keep him in check anymore. It felt good to be on the top of his game again. He felt out of place if a whole supermarket of people didn't play dead when he came to buy eggs and milk. Sarcasm is the lowest form of wit, Sasuke. _Urgh_. His mind was autocannibalizing itself.

Another sweep of his magnetic card and he pushed the last door open to step into the building's entrance lobby. Honestly, he was getting sick of black and white marble, white walls and black couches. He had a postmodern orgasm in his own apartment. One was enough, thanks. But count on the Hyūga, who owned the building anyways, to make everything at their image. Black and white. No nuances. Oh, the irony. But then what do you expect when you marry Hyūga Hiashi's daughter?! Back in the days, when Hiashi had been in the ANBU, they had called him the _King of Spades_ or the _Lawyer_. One of his colleagues had told Sasuke as much. Sasuke had gotten a foretaste of Hiashi's skills, thank you very much. And now he lived in a building that reminded him of his father-in-law. Another reason why he tried to spend as little time as possible at the apartment.

As he stepped out of the building, a breeze ruffled up his hair. They would have an early summer, it seemed. Wow, Uchiha. You've started discussing the weather. With yourself. Brought back memories of a pretty badass weather discussion he had had with Hinata's grandfather. A shiver ran down his spine, for the one hundredth time of the day. Gosh, married life was a creepy experience.

Pulling the hood of his trench coat over his head, Sasuke gagged at the idea that the only thing it lacked were a few red clouds. He didn't appreciate the metaphor. He was a few red clouds away from following his brother's steps again, so it seemed. Pushing past a group of loud _shinobi_, he did his best not to attract their attention. Anonymity was his best friend. He only truly felt comfortable under a ceramic mask. It was his new identity. And strangely enough, he knew Sasuke the ANBU better than he knew _himself_. He had also been much closer to the Avenger than to the _real_ Sasuke. It was the only way the Uchiha kept his sanity. He invented blank, empty personalities under which he hid.

Damn, he fucking hated all those private clubs and their ridiculous lights. Nude girls (well, ok, not exactly nude) brushed against him, giggling and pushing him around. That's what Konoha was, right? He was risking his fucking head for these rich-ass bitches. Bitches whose parents had invested in the Oto venture.

Funny how some chicks smelled like corpses. Without even realizing. The whole village smelled of death, if you wanted Sasuke's opinion. And no perfume could cover the stench.

Each and every woman of Konoha smelled of dirt. Besides one. Besides the one that should have stunk the most. But no, she smelled of sandalwood. And her hair, that heavy black rope, had not stained the futon she had been lying on. The shriek, that pained, tormented wail echoed all around him, mingling with the shitty music that beat through downtown Konoha.

Sasuke picked up pace, doing his best to avoid as many people as possible. He saw a few known faces, kept a low profile, his sports bag still jumping by his side. He did eventually reach the fucking gym. It was the only place in the damn village where you could get a good workout. Well, okay, getting your ass whipped by Kakashi had a way of making you sweat piss and blood.

As he entered, Sasuke was welcomed by the usual bunch of fags at the counter. Yeah, yeah, he knew the _spiel_. They were giving him the evil eye, flexing their muscles and shifting their feet. _Heh_. They wanted to dance? Sasuke would fucking oblige. They just had to say a word. Pushing his hood down, he produced his membership card. Not that they didn't know who he was and what type of membership he had. A stop at the locker room and fifteen minutes later Sasuke was making his way into a completely packed gym. For fuck's sake. What was this shit, a fucking body-building event?! Why the hell could he never have the shit he needed when he needed it. _Urgh_. And guess how many ANBU there were in the gym! He wanted to punch someone.

Look at the whole peanut gallery go silent. First time they saw a fucking Uchiha or what?! Well, it certainly was the first time they saw a _married_ Uchiha. A lot of those guys he didn't have any contact with on a daily basis. And why the hell were there only dicks?! Did Sasuke interrupt the monthly meeting of the Nut-Nibbling Society of Konoha? Guys that flashed their sweaty muscles at other guys. How fucking awkward was that … Well, he better shut the fuck up. Ino had almost gotten Naruto and him to pull down their boxers in the middle of the schoolyard. She had maintained that Sasuke had a much bigger dick than Naruto. Which had of course made Naruto livid. Which in return had made Sasuke arrogant. All in all, they had been ten. Ino had always been very precocious.

Sakura had been bad. Karin had been explosive. Ino though … Ino deserved the award of Sexual Predator of the Year. But why, oh why, did Sasuke spend a big chunk of his life being sexually harassed. Ok. This was not going well. Sexual harassment was not something he wanted to think about. He wanted to stop thinking about it actually. That shit with Ino was funny. But the bleak, pale eyes that came to his mind were not. And of course, the only available device of torture was a horizontal bar. Vertical push-ups it was. Not exactly what he had had in mind. But hey, you had to make do with what you got.

Lowering his head, Sasuke made way to the metallic bar at the back of the room. Doing his best no to meet anyone's eye. Dudes were worse than chicks when it came to gossiping. Tomorrow, the whole village would know what the color of his sweats had been and how his hair had been done. Fags. And that is when he saw _him_. Things were just getting better and better. Sasuke's life was a fucking mess.

With his back to the wall and his knees bent, Naruto was lifting weights. The veins on his arms popped and sweat was dripping down his chin. Knowing him, he had been in the position for a good two hours. Honestly, the _dōbe_ was a masochist. Actually, that went a good way to explain why he dated Haruno Sakura of all people. And that was cool with Sasuke. Whatever got him off. Sasuke didn't give a shit. He did give a shit about his sanity though. Naruto's thighs and knees would burn from the strain and tomorrow, he would bitch about how sore he was. For the whole duration of the trip. Great. Fucking great. Passing his hand through his hair, Sasuke realized it was getting ridiculously long. No wonder the _dōbe_ called him a stray cat.

Through clenched teeth and with his clear eyes piercing through Sasuke's skull, Naruto muttered:

"The fuck you doing here, _teme_?!"

Sasuke had honestly started to hate those blue eyes. Every time they met up, which happened quite often since they were in the same unit, Naruto had a way of making Sasuke guilt-trip about his wedding. As Sasuke had thought, Naruto and Hinata had been tight. Kind of. It was still unclear what the hell their relationship had been. Obviously they hadn't played _hooky_ behind the bushes or something. The girl had been a virgin, thanks. However, by the way Naruto and Sakura had reacted when Sasuke's charming _wife_'s identity had been revealed … Sakura had had an anxiety attack. Akimichi Chōji maintained as much. Like all the hyperventilating, shaking and shit. How true that was, Sasuke didn't know. Naruto though … Naruto had gone right into Sasuke's face the next morning. It had been a mess. The _dōbe_ had made the shittiest scene ever. In front of the whole unit. And Kakashi.

Taking a step back, Sasuke jumped up and grabbed onto the horizontal bar. Let's do this shit. He didn't have time for Naruto's BS. He could shove all the moralizing up his ass. Pulling himself up, Sasuke let a shaky breath escape him. He needed to keep calm and pick up pace. And so he did. He fucking hated vertical push-ups. Especially when Naruto kept fusillading him with his glare.

"Hey, asshole, you gonna fucking answer?!"

And here it came. The _dōbe_ should have become a fucking preacher. He was sweating. Straining. And doing his fucking thing. But as soon as Sasuke appeared out of somewhere, his brain got hijacked and he transformed into Sasuke's mother. And the Uchiha was starting to get fed up. He had the impression he had played at the casino and lost all his life savings. Sasuke had wanted to reproduce and had taken a Hyūga for that purpose. And here he was unable to even look at the chick without his balls shrivelling. Or him making a pussy out of himself. But now, she indirectly fucked up his relationship with his two best friends. Great, just fucking great.

"Hey, _teme_, you know what is being said in the unit?! Listen up, it's pretty interesting. The guys say you just spent a week on a B-ranked. That you accepted right after coming back from _Mizu no Kuni_ with us."

Yeah, Sasuke could see where this was going. You shall honor your wife, and other shit of the kind. Like honestly, if Naruto wanted her that much, he could take Hinata. Good riddance. Sasuke was pretty fed up with spending his nights staring at the ceiling while she slept by his side. Well ok, at a good distance from him, whatever. They shared the same covers.

"You better fucking tell me they are pulling that out of their ass."

Pumping up and down, the Uchiha just felt like jumping down and going after Naruto. This was honestly getting out of hand. He didn't know who the _dōbe_ thought he was, but this sure as hell was none of his business.

"Mind your own fucking business."

Own fucking business. Not a concept Naruto understood.

"Guess what, dickhead, that is exactly what I am doing. What's up with the rumors of you treating Hinata like crap?!"

Like crap?! He didn't even look at her. How the fuck could Sasuke be treating her like crap?! Oh, yeah. Their wedding night. That could be filed under abuse, right? And _Hinata_, eh? Not Hinata-san, not Hyūga-san (well ok, she wasn't Hyūga anymore). But Hinata. Sasuke wondered how Sakura would react hearing Naruto talk about a chick so intimately. Sasuke was so fucking pissed that the only thing he could do was smirk. And let his venomous tongue do a pretty nasty job. Still pulling himself up, Sasuke hissed out his biggest blow.

"What is it, _dōbe_?! Sakura not giving you any? Doesn't surprise me much, coming from her. You like Hyūga girls, right? You wanna see whether the Hyūga would suit you better? Be my guest. You can have her."

The whole gym felt it. A pretty impressive quantity of _chakra_ saturated the air. If Naruto didn't remain calm, they would get kicked out of the gym. Actually no, if Naruto didn't keep his cool, there would be no gym left to get kicked out of. Funny shit, a few years ago, the _dōbe_ would have blown the whole building up. But look at him keeping his shit together. He was becoming a good little politician, wasn't he? _Hōkage_ material.

"Don't you fucking dare speak of Sakura that way … Or Hinata, for that matter."

"She is mine, isn't she? I speak of her the fucking way I want."

Narrowing his eyes, Naruto did his best to take a deep breath. A very deep, shuddering breath. He honestly felt like beating the shit out of Uchiha Sasuke. The guy was a real pain in the ass. And Naruto regretted. He regretted that a girl like Hyūga Hinata had to put up with him.

He had promised Hyūga Neji he would change the Hyūga Clan. But it was too late, wasn't it? Neji had been sacrificed. And now Hinata. She had been a sweet girl. Kind of weird and creepy, but nice nonetheless. Her retirement and disappearance had come like a real shock to their system. Especially to Inuzuka Kiba. Damn, another lost soul that could not be saved. But Team Eight had generally gone to hell. Kiba. Shino. Kurenai … Hinata. Was it Naruto or Konoha felt like a graveyard? A hall of broken dreams.

Letting the weights slip from his hands, Naruto pushed himself up on wobbly knees. Nothing better than the burn that travelled through his thighs. And no sound more satisfying than his bones cracking. Looking up at Sasuke with his clear eyes, he simply clicked his tongue.

"Trust me, asshole, you don't deserve her."

"Tch."

With those last words, the _dōbe_ turned around and headed to the locker room. Ah, fuck. They would be stuck together for over three weeks. Great atmosphere in perspective. But there was a good side to everything. Sasuke was an undying optimist. He wouldn't be obliged to continue doing vertical push-ups now that Naruto had abandoned his weights.

Jumping down, Sasuke calmly pushed his hand through his sweaty hair.

Hyūga Hinata had a knight in shining armor, who would have thought? What about Kō? Her lapdog was out of the picture, how sad. Sob, sob. Sasuke would have never imagined him being replaced by Naruto though. _Heh_. Funny shit. And here was Sasuke, flexing his arms in front of the mirror, smirking at his reflection.

Another good thing about this god-awful situation: Sasuke finally came in contact with his sense of humor. The only thing he could think of was Naruto dressed in an oversized can, sitting on a donkey and wielding a stick. That's the type of knight the _dōbe_ would be.

**x.x.x.**

Yuina was nervous. Who wouldn't be after eleven hours spent in a daycare with ten other children?! There was a boy that always picked on her, calling her ugly. And another girl that always stole her snacks. All in all, Yuina had had a very bad day.

Honestly, Kurenai could say the same about herself. Partial elections were coming up and Anko was getting nervous, working too much for her own good … or Kurenai's, for that matter. There was this asshole from the Progressive Conservatives that tried to get into her panties and that bitchy Parliament secretary that never forwarded shit to her.

Being a single mother desperately trying to make ends meet was not what she had hoped for herself. Don't get her wrong; Yuina was the center of her universe. The only thing that remained of the love of her life. But this was getting difficult. Fucking difficult. The _Sandaime_ had battled to establish many social services that had been meant to make it easier for the average, lower middle-class _shinobi_. But with the end of war, everything had been sent to hell. No more universal healthcare, parental support, subsidised daycares, free postsecondary education for civilians. Everything Kurenai would have desperately needed. Hey, they got tax-breaks. Right. 'Cause with the salary Kurenai was making a tax-break helped …

Thank God for Anko that had picked her up and trained her on location. But still, she didn't have a diploma and couldn't afford to go to college. Especially at age thirty-four. The only thing she had was a shitload of experience. For God's sake, having that goddamn paralegal diploma would have made all the difference. And thank the Lord for Kiba that did more than just chip in. He worked his ass off to keep the cookie jar as full as possible and for Yuina to have everything she needed. All jobs that made Kurenai's stomach heave.

And here she was. It was seven p.m. And she was jumping on the spot. Up and down. First to calm Yuina, who was whimpering. Second to calm herself. Yuina was such an understanding child. Never cried or screamed, never demanded or said no. She ate what she was given. She never made a scene when it was time to wake up and go to the daycare. Never made it difficult for Kurenai or Kiba. And it just made Kurenai feel more like an incompetent mother. What mother would have dumped her child for eleven hours at a goddamn daycare?! The Sarutobi had offered to take Yuina in; she was one of them after all. And Kurenai had honestly considered it.

Of course, knowing them, that would have meant Kurenai disappearing from her daughter's life. They weren't bad people. However, they considered themselves as a dynasty, so to say. They had a large, well-known family, almost a clan really. The Sarutobi had always held the highest positions in the village and were distant cousins with the _daimyō_.

Yūhi Kurenai didn't exactly have a pedigree. Her father came from the countryside and had been the first of his extended family to ever join the _shinobi_ forces or even go for higher education. He had gotten a scholarship to study at the academy as a child. And had graduated with honors. Made a name for himself and been promoted. Gone off to marry a nice _kunoichi_ and spawned Kurenai. Not exactly what the Sarutobi wanted to associate with.

But the _Sandaime_ and Asuma had been different. Konohamaru on the other hand … Kurenai wanted Yuina to be like her father. Different. And abandoning her to the Sarutobi, who wouldn't fail to remind Yuina who her mother was or wasn't, in this case, wasn't exactly the best way to assure she grew up to be an understanding, tolerant and humble adult. So, no. The Sarutobi would not adopt the three-year old.

But honestly, Kurenai wasn't all that sure jumping on the spot in front of a ritzy apartment tower was a show of good parental skills. Especially at seven p.m. when Yuina went to bed at eight. Thing was … well, what?! She didn't know herself. Three months had already passed. She had expected … She had expected for Hinata to send a word. To call on her. She had expected something after the scandal. Hinata's second scandal in less than two years, for crying out loud.

They hadn't seen each other since the end of the war. Of course, Kurenai had desperately tried to contact her. She had demanded to be received into the compound numerous times. However, since Hinata was no _genin_ anymore, Kurenai had lost her pass to the Hyūga Clan.

'_Hinata-hime is in no possibility to receive you, Yūhi-san._'

How many times had the _shinobi_ guarding the Hyūga Gates told her as much?! At least twenty times. And in the end she had stopped coming. It had a lot to do with Kiba having tried to break into the compound. _Urgh_. Inuzuka Kiba could sometimes be a bigger child than Yuina. And he had barely come back in one piece. They would have killed him had he succeeded in jumping over the wall. And it would have been legal. But since he had found himself on Hyūga territory, they had just broken his nose. How generous.

'_Hinata-hime is in no possibility to receive you._'

The same, impersonal words. The same words that had been served to Kiba and Shino as well. Just that Shino had understood from the very beginning. Kiba and Kurenai had always been wired the wrong way, in two different manners. Both stubborn. Just that Kiba was loud and obnoxious while Kurenai was calm and firm. But stubborn nonetheless. That's why Kurenai had tried to sneak into Hinata's hospital room when she had been sealed. And that's why she had waited to be called, now that Hinata was _de facto_ free.

But Kurenai had not received would it be as much as a note. And to anyone besides Yūhi Kurenai, that would have been a definite rejection. Something along the lines of: I don't want to see your dumb face. But count on Kurenai to disregard the facts and spend three months of her life debating, sometimes twice a day, whether to push that small, gold button beside the Uchiha name. Just one little push and the intercom might turn on. And then what?! What the hell would Kurenai tell Hinata?! Provided Hinata was the one to answer.

It could very well be her husband. God did that word sound wrong! Hinata's _husband_. The situation had degenerated. It was one thing Hinata had retired without any reason given. Kurenai had assumed it had to do with post-traumatic shock. Hinata had been so young when sent to face the horrors of war. And honestly, had it not been for that sealing stint, Kurenai would have kept deluding herself.

Feeding herself shit such like: Hinata with post-traumatic shock in the best of world's. Funny how war made you reconsider your standards of what a good outcome was. But the sealing, and now this bogus marriage, said it all. The Hyūga were stepping up their game. And Kurenai was spending way too much time with Anko. She was becoming paranoiac and seeing political plots everywhere. She needed a break.

Her long, pale finger hovered by the Uchiha name. She just had to push, goddammit. And then she would finally get to know what the hell had happened between Hinata and the Hyūga. A lump formed in her throat. Kurenai knew that she would not push that button. Because she felt guilt. Three years or so worth of guilt.

When Hinata had been twelve years old, Kurenai had promised her she would always support her. Always shoulder her. She had wanted to help those children. Three children that had never been accepted by this hierarchized Konohan society. The strange, introverted bug-boy. The loud, stupid mutt. And the failed Hyūga. Three misunderstood children that had needed for someone to finally tell them that they were loved and precious and that _they_ could do it.

And Kurenai had stuck to her resolution. Partially. She had done everything in her power to get Shino and Kiba out of the marasmus war had created. Whether she'd done it the right way was up to debate. But at least, they lived. Scarred, broken but never giving up. Shino led his life outside of the Aburame compound. He had been discarded by the Clan. They had even considered putting him down, as if he were some sick animal. Thank the Lord; the _Gōdaime_ had put an end to their ambitions.

They weren't the Hyūga, so Tsunade gave herself all the rights to bitch-slap them whenever she damn felt like it. And the explanations they had given her about blood-brain barrier, parasitical bugs and other nonsense had been discarded. She was a mednin, thank you very much. Aburame Shino would die miserably, but he was not contagious, so fuck off, no euthanasia for him. Especially since he didn't ask for it. And Kurenai could imagine Aburame Shibi had fueled Tsunade's prejudice against the Aburame on his own. No father, whether a Clan leader or not, would want to see his child die by his hand. No father besides Hyūga Hiashi. He had always been the exception that confirmed the rule.

As for Kiba, he lived with Kurenai. That had been a little bit tougher to pull off. With Akamaru's death, the Inuzuka compound had become unbearable for him. An Inuzuka without his dog was a dead soul, haggardly walking the streets. Kiba had fallen low. Very low. And pulling him out of the trouble he'd gotten into had been Kurenai's most difficult mission. But in the end, Kiba had done it himself. With Yuina's help. It had been a revelation. Slowly rage had been replaced with making Yu-chan's life easier, happier. He had become her pet and ate from her hand, did follies for her. And generally was the best big brother a mother would want for her child. A new type of drug, Kurenai worried.

But hey, if he liked putting on a pink apron and making them dinner, who was Kurenai to stop him?! God knew Inuzuka men were good cooks. And cleaning ladies. And rabid defenders of feminism. Bless all matriarchies of this world. She could very well imagine his sister and mother training him from his youngest days. However, Kurenai had to admit she did not like his on-the-side jobs. And she felt it wrong to accept his money. A pack of bills that magically appeared on the kitchen counter, once a month. To pay the rent, to fill the fridge, to get winter boots for Yu-chan. And scars, wounds, burns appeared on his golden skin just as regularly. He seemed to believe he was successful at concealing them. Think again, Kiba.

And then, there was Hinata. Hinata who had abandoned them. Who had never reappeared, who had hidden. And not let Kurenai keep her promise. The only thing Kurenai could think about whenever Hinata came to mind were those big, pale eyes that looked up at her and begged for help, for support, just one fucking nice word. A girl that had been mowed down by the system. Kurenai should have found a way to be there. Even if Hinata hadn't wanted anyone to get close, Kurenai should have found a way. The lump that had formed in her throat grew and grew, to the point Kurenai wondered whether she would choke. There, in that cold, pristine downtown Konoha alley.

Pushing herself away from her mother's shoulder, Kurenai's daughter jerked and resentfully said:

"Sleepy …"

Yūhi Kurenai was a bad mother. She left her kid to the care of strangers for eleven hours a day. On weekends, she barely had any time to play with her three-year old. Sometimes, she spent up to fifteen minutes standing in front of that damn apartment building, giving herself failed prep-talks. But, she had never fallen so low as to forget she was carrying her daughter in her arms. Until then. As Yuina's red eyes bore into her mother's, Kurenai started and finally, after three months pushed that godforsaken gold button by the Uchiha name. Not on purpose.

And shit went down. Well, not really. But she did consider, as her finger made contact with the cool metal, that she should run away. Just run for her life and never come back. Maybe Hinata would think some kids pulled a prank on her. Right, at seven thirty p.m. Kurenai was really being delusional and hysterical. Yūhi Kurenai was never hysterical, or hadn't been until then. But when the intercom turned on and a distorted voice reverberated all around the street, she calmed instantaneously. Even her daughter stopped shifting around and turned her head in surprise.

"Yes?"

A simple word whispered with that aristocratic inflection. The Hyūga dialect, an anachronism left over by imperialism. A shuddery breath escaped through Kurenai's lips, the lump in her throat palpitated. Yet, she did manage to bite out one word. The most important. A name barely whispered in a sigh of guilt.

"Hinata …"

No answer from the other side of the intercom. Kurenai could not breath, waiting desperately for something, anything to happen. Her daughter, being a perceptive three-year old, understood something important was occurring. Yuina's face took a solemn expression that would have scared her mother had she spared the child a glance. It was not the expression of a three-year old child. No, it was the countenance of an adult that awaited judgment. The face all lonely people, adults and children, of the world put on to shield their frail souls from any types of expectations. Or, she was just very tired and it made her apathetic.

A buzzing sound startled Kurenai out of her thoughts. The hell was … It was the door! Out of reflex, she grabbed onto the golden handle and pulled hard. So hard she was a little surprised she hadn't torn the door out of its hinges. Yuina didn't appreciate being juggled about, like a bag of potatoes, and shot her mother another resentful glance. But didn't complain. She was a dignified three-year old.

It is only as she stepped into the entrance hall, beholding all that black leather, the white walls and the marble, that Kurenai realized what she had done. She would face her judgement. More than three years. People changed a lot in three years, especially when they were left to bear loss on their own. The Hinata she was meeting up with was not _her_ Hinata, Kurenai had to keep that in mind. Stories circulated about this new Hinata. She had become somewhat of a legend that everyone spoke about, but no one had truly ever seen.

Bowing her head to the security agent that shot her a suspicious glance, Kurenai headed towards the elevator, remembering clearly that she needed to head to the fifteenth floor. Gosh was the elevator horrible. All in black velvet. She was quite sure that she could scream her lungs out and no one would hear her in that metallic box. This time, she did not hesitate as she pushed a button. Her daughter looked around herself. Yuina was tense, feeling all of her mother's stress. She did not like it. She didn't like the elevator that jerked and scared her. She didn't like the strange light that made all the black velvet glisten. Hiding her head in the crook of Kurenai's neck, she refrained from whimpering. Yuina was not a crybaby, no, no.

As the elevator came to a halt, Kurenai expected for the doors to slide open, yet she was stuck waiting a good two minutes as a beeping sound reverberated all around her. Obviously, there was a camera in the elevator. But she hadn't expected Hinata would have to preapprove her stepping onto the fifteenth floor. State-of-art security, eh? Even the security agent had had the feel of a _shinobi_. Retired _ninja_ who needed to pay the bills, most probably. But she did eventually get the permission to step into what must have been the cleanest, most elegant hallway she had ever seen.

The hallways of her apartment block were grey, often dirty because people just didn't care. And crammed with doors. There must have been at least four apartments on her floor. Nothing to do with the pristine white walls that waited for her. Walls adorned with black and white paintings of poisonous flowers. The black carpet that stretched through the whole length of the hall felt like a cloud. And there was nothing but one, heavy ebony door. With no crummy number. If you didn't miss the floor, you didn't miss the apartment, that was for sure.

Tentatively walking towards the door, Kurenai felt Yuina's arms tighten their grasp around her neck. Like mother, like daughter. Both felt quite stressed. Just that the child's anxiety was a direct by-product of the mother's. Before she had the time to knock, the heavy, luxurious ebony door was thrown open. And in the entrance stood a tall girl. No. A tall woman. Kurenai recognized her. And not because she hadn't changed. On the contrary, Hinata had changed drastically.

Standing in the doorway, a wet cloth in her hand, Hinata cried. She had promised herself she would not cry. She had promised herself she would calmly explain everything. Well, count on her to not hold her promises. As she looked at Kurenai, she could not smother the sobs and dry her eyes. Cue to Kurenai starting to bawl her eyes out herself. This was all kinds of wrong.

Hinata was all wrong. Not at all like Kurenai remembered, yet the same. The young woman that stood in the doorway had had a bout of growth, obviously. Five feet nine at least. A tall girl. But Hyūga were tall people generally. Kurenai hadn't expected it though. And thin. Hinata had become so much thinner, all the baby fat gone from her figure. Only the curves of a grown woman remained. Her face was oval, not round anymore. Kurenai knew she was exquisite and the rumors she had heard about Uchiha Sasuke's incendiary wife were proven to be true. However, even if Kurenai knew, she could not see any of that beauty. She didn't see it at all.

What Kurenai saw was a lost girl. The same lost girl she had met eight years ago. Eight fucking years had been flushed down the drain by the Hyūga Clan. Kurenai had always hated them, but it was the first time she regretted they had not faced the same fate as the Uchiha.

There were only a few additions to that pain Hyūga … no, _Uchiha_ Hinata carried around like a cross. The seal, aggressively carved on her unblemished forehead. Those horrible tremors she had heard about more than two years ago. After having pumped the _Hōkage_ herself for information. And the wet rag. The perfect image of the child-bride. She might have been nineteen; she might have had the enticing curves of a grown woman, but she was a lost, little girl that had no one, but no one to talk to.

And as she looked at Hinata, she could not smother the sobs and dry her eyes. Because she realized. There was a reason Hinata had not let them come close to her.

She was one that could not be saved.

And Hinata had not wanted Shino, Kiba and Kurenai to look at her falling. Breaking. The pity she saw in Kurenai's eyes hurt more than any of her father's insults, any of her sister's blows. Even more than the humiliation ensuing from Uchiha Sasuke's complete lack of interest. Kurenai's beautiful, surprising red eyes showered Hinata in apologies, in sympathy and friendship. All those things that reminded Hinata how low she had fallen. She wanted to close the door and remain hidden forever. She didn't even know what had pushed her to let Kurenai into the building!

And yet, through all that misery, Hinata was happy. Happy to see a known face. Finally someone that had not come to mock her, to scorn her. No. Kurenai was there just to … see Hinata. And that joy of knowing that maybe she mattered for someone, that she had not been completely and fully erased, meant a lot to this young woman that was unable to understand what was happening around her.

"_Kaa-san_ … no cry."

A tentative whisper. One Hinata had never heard. Her eyes slid from Kurenai's tear-ravaged features to the small mass that was shooting her mother worried glances. As realization hit her, Hinata raised her foam-covered hand to her mouth in shock. It couldn't be …

"Hinata, no offense, but I think we better do this inside before a security agent comes to throw me out."

Kurenai's soft smile pierced through all the sadness of the situation and Yuina, reassured for an instant, turned her suspicious red eyes towards the pretty lady that made her _kaa-san_ cry. The pretty lady was also crying. And Yuina instantly became predisposed to forgive. She might have inherited the Sarutobi cheekiness (that had gotten her cousin Konohamaru into trouble more than once), but when it came to matters of the heart, she held from her mother.

Stepping aside, Hinata let Kurenai enter and closed the door behind them. And Kurenai had to muster all of her self-restraint not to whistle. She hadn't entered an apartment, she had entered a castle. Just the entrance hall was large and certainly not cluttered with shoes like at her place. The walls were white, of course. And again, covered in paintings. She recognized Hinata's style. Kurenai had been gifted with a few of Hinata's paintings back in the days and would recognize her _protégée_'s approach in the middle of a museum full of art.

The whole place smelled of old money … and bleach?! There was a black bucket in the middle of the hall, giving off a strong smell of detergent. In a swift movement that startled Kurenai and made Yuina tense, Hinata pushed aside the gliding doors to a closet and retrieved a pair of slippers for Kurenai.

"Ano … I am s-sorry … I d-don't think I have a pair for–"

"Yuina. Her name is Yuina."

At the mention of her name, the little girl turned her head and warily examined Hinata, whose face was still tear-covered. Once Kurenai's feet comfortably covered by a pair of freaking cashmere slippers (Kurenai hadn't known people made slippers out of cashmere … until then), the guests were led into the most enormous living room they were ever given to see. The hallway closet had been as big as Kurenai's master bedroom. Hinata's living room could fit Kurenai's whole apartment. At least two times.

It was horrible. It reeked of Hyūga. The only thing that was off was the postmodern organization. And that was it. It was as personal as the lobby of the building and held nothing of Hinata. Nothing at all. A shiver ran down Kurenai's spine. An enormous black leather couch. A small glass table in front of it. An obviously unused wide-screen TV. Sound system included. Hinata's paintings that were just as bleak and plastic as the living room on all the walls. A glass door leading to a wide balcony. Some contemporary commode pushed into a corner. The type of living room you saw in posh art-deco magazines and that made you feel like you were living in a doll house. It gave Kurenai the creeps.

Wood flooring, with a heating system right underneath, most probably. Ebony wood, black and shiny. Expensive and _gorgeous_. The smell of fresh wax was saturating the room and mixing with the stench of bleach. Shooting a glance at Hinata's hands, Kurenai clicked her tongue. Cracked, red and damaged. Hinata had been cleaning. And her hands did not look like the hands of a Hyūga _hime_. Not at all. Hence, she had been cleaning a lot. Potentially every day, since the place smelled like an operation room.

Obsessive compulsive disorder? Potentially. Hinata had always been very neat and Kurenai had noticed her tendency to tidy things up when she was worried. She would always place things a certain way and would get very upset if they were displaced. It was Hinata's way to control a situation. The ups and downs of being Hyūga Hiashi's daughter, most probably. But this … this was a little bit too much.

Kurenai's red eyes trailed from Hinata's hands to her face, noting the expensive wool sweater the girl was wearing in the middle of July. Sure, it was cool in the apartment. Not that cool though. A very tight bun was keeping her hair from her faces and her features were stretched by exhaustion. There were three hundred ways to approach the situation. But Kurenai had no right to as much as state the obvious. She had been away (more like sidelined) for three years. What the hell did she know about Hinata's life?!

"I'll do as if you've just invited me to take a seat."

Kurenai did her best to sound cheerful as she dropped her butt onto the leather couch and placed Yuina on her lap. As the words made their way to Hinata's brain, she blushed in mortification and started muttering horrified apologies. Where are your manners, Hinata!

"Oh, y-yes. P-please, do forgive me, Kurenai-san. Welcome … Uhm, w-would you like some tea?"

The child-bride. Flustered, lost and on the brink of tears. Fuck tea, man.

"No, Hinata. I don't want any tea … I want for you to meet someone."

Shifting Yuina from her lap, she made the three-year old sit on the couch by her side. Softly placing her hand on the top of her head, Kurenai shot her daughter a significant look. As she bowed her head, Yuina slurred a few words of respect.

"Pwease, take ca'e of me …"

"Hinata-_nee-san_", Kurenai completed.

At the word _nee-san_, Yuina raised her head in surprise. _Nee-san_? There was Bika-_nii-san_ and Shino-_nii-san_ and Shimaru-_nii-san_ and Koharu-_nii-san_ … but Yuina did not have a _nee-san_. That was a special word. Michi-chan at the daycare had a _nee-san_. And Yuina had been very jealous of her pretty _nee-san_. And she had wanted one too. With surprise, the child examined the woman that was standing in front of her. Slowly, as if worried she would scare the little girl, Hinata approached and let herself fall on her knees in front of Yuina.

"Hinata, this is Yuina-chan. I am … sorry the two of you did not meet earlier …"

No. Hinata was the one who was sorry. She was sorry for having been a coward. She was sorry for seeing Kurenai so tired. Strong, capable, yet so tired. Dressed all in gray and with heavy bags under her beautiful red eyes. She was sorry for not having been there to shoulder her _sensei_. The only person that had unconditionally believed in her from day one. Besides Kō.

Hyūga Hinata was sorry. She was sorry for her father who had wanted a male heir. Sorry for Hanabi that should have had a strong _ōne-san_ to guide her through life. Sorry for Neji that had died because of her. Sorry for Kō whom she had not understood. Sorry for Kurenai, Kiba and Shino whom she had abandoned.

Sorry for Uchiha Sasuke whom she could not satisfy.

But Yuina would have none of that. Her _nee-san_ was beautiful and a beautiful _nee-san_ should never cry. With Hinata's face only inches from her, the tired child extended its small hands and caressed the soft, white skin of the pretty _nee-san_'s cheeks.

"Nina-_nee-san_, no cry."

Because Yuina was about to cry herself. It was the proper of children to get attached fast, to love unconditionally. Even someone as undeserving as Hinata had a place in Yuina's heart. And the pain of a loved one (even if met only five minutes ago) was too much to bear for such a little heart. A tear slid down the corner of Hinata's eye and her own hands placed themselves over the child's.

"I am j-just very happy to m-meet you, Yuina-chan."

Yuina was very happy to meet her _nee-san_ too … And she expressed all her joy by closing her eyes and leaning in. As the child's forehead made contact with hers, Hinata's eyes widened.

"Ano … K-Kurenai-s-san …"

"Argh. She fell asleep. I am so sorry. She is very tired. I shouldn't have come to disturb you this late, especially with Yuina. I'll be going now … I just … I just wanted to see you … Once."

Going?! Wait, wait, wait. That was not part of the plan. At least not Hinata's plan. That she had developed thirty seconds ago. Could Kurenai not stay another five minutes?! Softly, curling her arm around the girl's body, Hinata stood up, taking the little girl with her. Kurenai immediately extended her arms and Yuina was passed to her mother. However, the glance her _protégée_ shot Kurenai told her to stay put. Sashaying her way out of the living room, Hinata disappeared for a good five minutes, leaving her _sensei_ to wonder what was happening.

As she reappeared with a fluffy pillow and a blanket, everything became clear. And Kurenai just grinned in pleasure. She was not being kicked out just of yet. Silently, the two women wrapped the child in the blanket and placed her pretty head on the pillow before disappearing from the living room.

Hinata led Kurenai to a very elegant dining room that felt just as horribly cold as the rest of the apartment. Got Kurenai to wonder how the hell someone could live in that place. It felt like a coffin. Hinata's coffin. Aptly named. Kurenai was quite sure that her former student hadn't seen the light of day since her wedding. And sometimes, she wondered whether one could truly see it from the Hyūga compound.

However, as she seated herself in front of Hinata, she took the resolution not to make this any harder than it already was. Truth being said, Kurenai had no idea whether Hinata would disappear again. She was proud and her former _sensei_ knew that being seen so weak and lost was not to her liking. To most people, Hinata appeared meek and lenient. However, Kurenai knew better. This was the little stalker girl that had stubbornly followed Uzumaki Naruto for twelve years. A pretty _interesting_ undertaking, if you asked Kurenai. That went a great way to describe Hinata's obstinacy.

Thirty minutes later, the atmosphere had lightened considerably. The old Hinata that smiled, giggled and whose eyes twinkled with pleasure was back. And it broke Kurenai's heart. She had not grown. A child. Hinata still was a child in so many aspects. But if Kurenai could make her laugh for another thirty minutes or so, she would be content.

"So Anko just appeared at my door-step. I was changing Yuina and my shoulder was covered in her vomit. I opened the door, exhausted and ready to just go throw myself through the window. And she was standing there; dressed … you know how Anko dresses. That has been my first job, get her to dress decently. So, she just grabbed my arm, not even sparing me a glance. "Kurenai, you're jobless, a fucking snot, but damn capable. I am running for the Workers and Farmers' Party's leadership. I need you to make me likeable." That's what she said. I just pushed her out and slammed the door shut right in front of her nose. And that is how I started working for Anko."

Hinata threw her head back and laughed. How long had it been since she had laughed so freely?! She couldn't remember.

"You read the newspapers? Here."

Rummaging through her duffel bag, Kurenai produced a pack of cigarettes and a lighter that she simply tossed onto the table before retrieving a copy of the _Konoha Times_. With Mitarashi Anko on the front page, standing on a table and aggressively pointing her finger at some invisible opponent. Anko had a great sense for showmanship, that was for sure. She handed it to Hinata, whose eyes remained glued to the pack of cigarettes. Kurenai laughed tightly. And took the opportunity to introduce a less palatable subject in that diplomatic way of hers. Diplomacy had gotten her a job, after all.

"Asuma and Kiba rubbed off on me. I smoke like a chimney. Never at home, obviously. Just at work."

At the mention of Kiba, Kurenai noticed Hinata tensing immediately. Yes, a damn touchy subject it was. And she did not want to bother Hinata with it, but some things had to be said, after all. Especially if this truly turned out to be the last time Kurenai got the chance to see Hinata. They had at least to lay the young woman's worries to rest. Because Kurenai knew Hinata was worried. Had been worried for the last few years. She was really too kind to have forgotten them. She had just had misplaced notions about the effect of her withdrawal from society would have on them. She had wanted to make the situation better, not worse.

Pointing at the open door behind Hinata, Kurenai let a low whistle escape.

"That is one fancy kitchen you have there. Kiba would go crazy. He reads those cooking magazines and always moans after the newest high-tech mixer. It is quite tiring, really. He lives with me, you know. We are roommates."

She was cautiously testing the water. Hinata's eyes remained fixed on the pack of cigarettes. Was she listening? Kurenai had no idea, but she had already gone this far, she could just spill the beans.

"I remember the two of you exchanging recipes."

Faking a high-pitched voice, Kurenai continued:

"No, Kiba, I will not give you the recipe for our red bean purée. It is a recipe that has been passed down from generation to generation in the Hyūga Clan … unless you hand over the recipe for your specialty _yakisoba_ _and_ tell me how to make the traditional Inuzuka _dango_."

Kurenai's voice dropped an octave.

"Are you crazy, woman?! My great-grandfather had the best _dango_ shop in the whole village. That was his top secret recipe that got rid of all the competition. Rather cut off my balls and feed them to a pack of famished dogs than sell it off to you sneaky Hyūga."

And it happened. The corners of Hinata's pulp lips lifted ever so slightly.

"W-we weren't that b-bad."

Kurenai comically rolled her eyes, passing a hand over her forehead.

"You were worse. And like that during a whole trip. Shino and I were going crazy. Oh, and then, when we had to camp the two of you always fought for who'd make the food. And remember how jealous he was of your _bentō_. The lunchboxes you made were so much _cuter_ than his, he couldn't accept it."

"H-he lives with you n-now?"

Hinata had bitten the bait. Good.

"Yes, he does. And let me tell you, I sometimes wonder who the biggest kid between him and Yuina is. And trust Kiba to make all types of situations difficult. Usually, I do not work on weekends and just sleep in. So does Yuina. And when he is at home, he pretty much has the apartment to himself until the afternoon. But there was this one Saturday. Partial elections were coming up and Anko, Sachiko, Anko's political analyst, and Yūme, her PR agent, decided to come over so we could get some work done. We were in the living room. And my living room is connected to the kitchen. You know how Kiba's nose is full of mucus every morning?"

At the mention of that detail, Hinata made a disgusted face.

"He d-doesn't smell anything until he snorts it out."

"Exactly. So we see Kiba walking out of the hallway. Dressed in nothing but his boxers. He doesn't spare us a glance, just walks by and into the kitchen. Opens the fridge door. Retrieves the milk. Walks right back into the living room, obviously drinking the milk from the box, after I told him three hundred times not to do that! Head thrown back, drinking his milk, he starts scratching his stomach right in front of us. I just wanted to die. Poor Yūme must have gotten a complex. You know how men in the morning have an–"

Okay. No, Kurenai would not add that part. Especially not to a conversation she was having with Hinata.

"Anyways, so he is scratching his stomach, dressed in nothing but his boxers. Unshaved, his hair sticking out all around his head, all that jazz. And then you have Anko, who was pretty nervous around that time, go: "Damn, did I forget my own birthday by any chance?! You guys got me a stripper, how fucking nice is that?!" She just starts clapping her hands and screaming "Striptease, striptease." Kiba jumps, looks around himself. Just drops the box of milk, seeing us sprawled on the floor. Good think it was empty; I would have killed him otherwise. His eyes get all big and he just looks at us, struck stupid obviously. Anko and Sachiko were drooling. Yūme was horrified. I was just so mortified. Then he realizes he is kinda naked, grabs onto his crotch and runs away. He didn't want to leave his room for two days straight after that."

Hinata couldn't breathe. If she didn't watch it, she would wake Yuina-chan, laughing so hard. Kiba never changed. Never ever. Even when … A sobering thought got her to go silent and meet Kurenai's glance with watery eyes.

"They are both doing ok. Shino and Kiba. I won't lie and tell you it is easy on an everyday basis. But they make it happen. Really. The only thing missing …"

_Is you_, Hinata completed in her mind. Noticing how her former student closed up like a clam, Kurenai changed the subject immediately, telling her about Yuina and her strange little habits. Trying her best to make Hinata smile. One last time.

Obviously, Kurenai wanted to ask so many things. However, answers came by themselves. She didn't need to ask how her life with the Hyūga had been after the war. How Uchiha Sasuke, the absent man, was treating her. Whether or not she was content. Everything was written on her drawn features. And Kurenai could do nothing to ease all that pain. And starting to cry again wouldn't make the situation any better. Pushing away from the table, Kurenai stood up and shot Hinata and insincere smile.

"I'd better go."

Yes. Kurenai better go. It was much better she went away and left Hinata to bear it all by herself. After all there wasn't much to bear. After all Hinata was the one that had made everything difficult. She just hadn't wanted Kurenai to look at her _that_ way. With so much sorrow. Hence, Hinata did her best to smile back. An insincere smile for to match an insincere smile.

Silently, they made their way back into the living room where Yuina was roused from her sleep. And didn't take it all that well. But as soon as her head made contact with her mother's shoulder, she simply went back to sleep. There was something to be said about all the uncomfortable positions children could fall asleep in.

Before stepping out, Kurenai wanted to turn around and hug Hinata. She wanted to force herself upon Hinata, tell her she would not abandon her. That she would not let Hinata push her away again. But it was not her place to say such things. Kurenai had wanted to help Hinata. And in the end, everything she had tried to build for those children had backfired. Shino was slowly dying, victim of his own insects. Kiba was desperately trying to drown his sorrow doing a lot of stupid shit. And Hinata was letting herself rot in this fashionable coffin.

But at least, Shino and Kiba were breathing. While Hinata was suffocating. And Kurenai could do nothing about it. The Hyūga had played their game. Played the Uchiha and Hinata as pawns. If only Hinata asked for Kurenai to come back. If only …

As she looked at Kurenai making her way to the elevator, slowly and hesitantly. Hinata did her best not to let her knees give in. She just had to close the door and go back into the darkness. It was easier that way. She would not hear about Kiba and Shino again. About their pain that she could do nothing about. The same way she couldn't do anything about her own anguish. The idea she had let Kurenai see her so humiliated tortured her, clawed at her intestines. And yet, she wanted to … break out of her shell.

She wanted to call Kurenai. To tell her she missed Kiba and Shino. Hinata desired only one thing. Had only one small wish. To go back to those days when they were traveling the country, bickering about who would cook dinner. When she had only been weak. Not broken, not sold off.

Before she had become a prostitute her only customer did not want to touch.

The elevator door slid open and before Kurenai could finally disappear from Hinata's life as she had promised, her _protégée_'s voice reached her. Hinata knew she shouldn't have called out to her former _sensei_. But she shouldn't have done a lot of things.

She shouldn't have let Neji kiss her that damned night. She shouldn't have led the _Bunke_ _shinobi_. She shouldn't have come back from war. She shouldn't have let the Hyūga seal her without a fight. She shouldn't have hid. She shouldn't have married Uchiha Sasuke.

But she had. She had done so many things believing it was for the good of all.

How about doing something she shouldn't … for her own good?! Even if in the end it would backfire like every decision she took.

"When are y-you coming again?"

Kurenai startled. It had been a bad day. It had been a miserable day. Her daughter shifted on her shoulder, leaving a trail of saliva by the crook of her neck. Turning her head, she examined Hinata. This girl she was seeing, so strange, tall and haggard was not really Hinata, was she? She was just a Hyūga by-product. Just Uchiha Sasuke's trophy wife. Hyūga Hinata of all people. Way of redeeming yourself in the face of society, you little prick.

Kurenai should have kept away. She would get mowed down by all that pain, anguish and her responsibilities. And yet, looking at that girl blushing and fidgeting with her fingers, like the real Hinata would have done, she couldn't do otherwise but smile.

"Next Friday."

Yūhi Kurenai was a Friday-type of person after all.

But tomorrow was fucking Wednesday. And it was already ten p.m., for God's sake. Kiba was not home which meant she had to take care of food and prepare Yuina's lunchbox for daycare. As she finally stepped into the elevator, she shot the camera in the corner her cheekiest smile.

With Yuina grabbing a handful of her mother's hair and pulling hard in her sleep.

**x.x.x.**

Sasuke fucking hated September. Damn, since he'd gotten sucked into the Hyūga family he'd started to hate a whole lot of shit. But hey, he hadn't seen them since April. That made five months. Five months of bliss. Yeah, right. The last five months had been ridiculously shitty if you asked him. He didn't remember the last time he had had a good night's sleep. Whatever.

Kakashi shot a glance at Sakura, raising an eyebrow. She shifted on her feet. Shit was going to go down and she wasn't prepared at all. Why wasn't Naruto the type to go all knight-in-shining-armor on this kind of situations?! Like, shielding her from the imminent hurricane.

"So what you are telling me is that you left a Konoha _oinin_, that had potentially been roasted to death by that idiot over there, on the outskirts of Kumo. Without giving him any type of first aid?!"

She averted her eyes. Well, what was she supposed to say to that?! Uhm, yes?! Fuck, Sakura hated September. It felt just like one big Monday. And urgh, she had mednin shifts starting that very evening. She just didn't remember the last time she had had a good night's sleep. Or sex for that matter. She didn't remember the last time she had thought about anything besides Sasuke and Hyūga Hinata fucking in a posh, postmodern living room.

Hyūga Hinata. Always Hyūga Hinata. The bane of Sakura's existence. Whatever corner she had ever turned in her life, Sakura had found Hyūga Hinata a few steps ahead. Rich. Elegant. Innocent. The type of little princess that got everything she wanted. And lived a perfect, clueless life. Had a few bouts of half-assed idealism here and there and then went back to her compound where servants awaited to pamper her and adore her. And then? Then she got Uchiha Sasuke. Sakura felt like puking. And crying. And hitting. And begging.

"Chill, _būchō_. It's an _oinin_. The usual pair. Just that this time, _teme_ took care of him. Permanently."

Wow. Way of making everything better. Thanks, Naruto. Sakura just turned around to stare at her boyfriend. It amazed her how dumb he could be. Like he must have set some fucking record at that point. Fucking Inuzuka Kiba sounded like a genius in comparison. That was not something you said in your defense in front of Kakashi. The guy hated collateral damage! Most probably had to do with all the details he had had to sweep under the rug after Konoha's Oto stint.

"Just an _oinin_. Right. So tomorrow, when I get a nice little message from Killer Bee, informing me they found the corpse of a Konoha _shinobi_ on the fucking outskirts of their fucking capital, I'll just tell him that it is nothing but an _oinin_. Not a fucking spy. And he'll believe me, right?!"

Naruto took a step back. Kakashi was using foul language while widely smiling. He was gonna get all psycho on their ass. Naruto hated fucking September. It just felt like someone had put his balls in a mixer and pressed the _on_ button. Plus Sakura's shifts at the hospital were starting that very evening. He couldn't remember the last time they had had sex. Oh, right. Before Sasuke had gone off to marry Hyūga Hinata. God, their life was a mess.

"Fuck it. I just don't have any time for you. I'll try to fix it somehow. Just go and don't reappear in front of my eyes for a few days. You are off-duty for the week. Uchiha, anything you want to add to your defense about this mess you've created?"

Yeah, no. Sasuke was good. Turning on his heels, he just shifted his wolf-mask to his face, before escaping into the hallway. He'd just head to the ANBU headquarters, get a nice change of clothes and right to the _Jōnin_ Department to see what they could offer him like mission. He just had a week, so he doubted it would be an A-ranked. A C-ranked at best. Getting some political shit past the border with Suna or some other BS. One thing was sure; the _Kazekage_ was getting sick of his face. Hell, he saw more of that fucking ginger than of Hinata. And Sasuke liked it that way.

Before the doors of the elevator closed on him, Naruto and Sakura slid in. Oh, for fuck's sake. This was going to get awkward again. A lot of shit had gone to hell in Sasuke's life. His relationship with his teammates, for example. He had thought they would take his wedding better. They hadn't fussed too much when he'd told them about it. Well, ok, Sakura had thrown a bottle of beer to a wall. However, the fact that it was Hinata he had married had just destroyed everything.

"Well, that went better than expected."

Count on the _dōbe_ not to be able to keep his trap shut. Sasuke wanted to take a look at Sakura. But hey, guess what, she was wearing a mask too. Damn. And another guilt-trip in perspective. At the apartment, he had a case of the guilts looking at Hyūga Hinata. On missions, he had a case of the guilts looking at Sakura. Fuck, man. And Naruto shooting him those accusing glares. Yeah, yeah. Sasuke had fucked up big time.

"Tch."

They did make it to the locker rooms. But the elevator trip had seemed longer than any of their missions. Before long, Naruto and Sasuke were left alone to change and get their shit. Silence had become the golden rule when they were alone. And Sasuke liked it that way. He didn't need any bitch'n'moaning, honestly. He had enough of his own mental bitching. But count on Naruto to arbitrarily choose when to send a tacit rule to hell.

As he passed his black turtleneck over his head and unzipped his pants, he shot Sasuke one of those castrating beaten-dog looks. And here it came. Why the hell couldn't Sasuke just have five minutes of peace?! Five fucking minutes is all he asked. Five minutes without thinking about his mother, Itachi, Hinata, the _dōbe_, Sakura, the village. Five minutes spent thinking about fucking nothing at all. Void. Sasuke wanted void.

"So … it's been five months, right? When are we coming over?"

Coming … over?! As in walking into Hinata's apartment?! Into that posh shithole that made Sasuke suffocate whenever he spent the night there?! Well, how about fucking never?!

"Or you don't want us to see what you did to her?" 

He hated it when Naruto brought everything back to Hyūga Hinata. What was it with the chick?! She had beer-flavored nipples and Sasuke didn't know?! 'Cause she was getting a whole lot of attention from random dudes, like Naruto.

Sasuke punched his locker shut. Trying to pass by Naruto and head to the showers, he felt an iron grip take hold of his arm. Ok, fuck off. Sasuke was in no mood for any of that shit. Turning around, he activated the _Sharingan_ and shot Naruto a warning glare. Back off, asshole.

"She didn't step out of your apartment for five months. What the fuck do you do to her? Keep her shut up so that no one sees the sick shit you make her go through, or what?!"

The sick shit Sasuke made her go through. Yes. He'd made her go through some sick shit. But he hoped … his absences redeemed him to some extent.

"So, what you are telling me is that you spy on my wife? Damn, _dōbe_, I am sure Sakura would love to hear about that. You stare through the window of the bedroom while Hinata changes, too?"

Naruto took a step back and Sasuke just tore his arm out of his grip. Yeah, asshole, don't play that game with Sasuke. But truth being said, he would never turn around and go tell Sakura. The Uchiha still had some damn standards, for fuck's sake.

"Ok. Then do it for Sakura. She needs some fucking closure."

Why the fuck would Sasuke do anything for Sakura?! She was off his plate of responsibilities. She was Naruto's girlfriend. Not his. How many times would he have to repeat it?

Sasuke was not interested in Haruno Sakura. He had no fucking idea what she saw in him. But he damn well knew what he did _not_ see in her! He was married. Sure, it was bogus. He had hoped it would settle the score, though. Make shit easier for the _dōbe_ and Sakura. Not worse!

He would never admit it. But he had done it for them too, to a certain extent. Just to set them free. Sakura especially. The pain he had seen in her eyes on an everyday basis for three years or so had played a role in his decision. He had to admit it to himself at least. Sakura deserved to be happy. With someone that loved her. Like Naruto. They both deserved to be happy. And Sasuke had always been a hindrance on their path to happiness.

He had hoped he would be off making someone else miserable now, namely Hyūga Hinata. But no, instead of making three people miserable, he had made an addition, is all.

"Why the hell would I care about Sakura?! She is your fucking responsibility, not mine."

Those were his last words as he disappeared behind the lockers, leaving Naruto to rub his skull raw as he always did when he didn't get something.

"You are one cold son of a bitch, Uchiha."

When Sasuke came back from the showers, he was relieved to see that Naruto had left. Yeah, it was better that way. The least they saw of each other, the better it was for the both of them. It took him no time to dress and head out. It simply wasn't his day. They had nothing for him at the _Jōnin_ Department. He was becoming jobless, too. Great.

Stepping out of the _Kage_ Tower, he raised his eyes to the sky, squinting. It must have been about noon. Merchants were selling their goods on the marketplace. Civil servants were going out to get a lunch. The streets were buzzing with activity.

But Sasuke didn't like the warm sun of September. Nor did he care about the tomatoes that were being promoted at a stand. He just lowered his head and pushed his way through that crowd of busy bees. Fuck humanity, seriously. He hated smiles, and laughter and the festival season was coming up as well. Damn, whatever. As long as he was somewhere else, he was good. He'd find a way to get some extra missions.

He reached his apartment building pretty fast and regretted not having kept his old bachelor. Even if the neighbours from above always had some damn leakage. But whatever. Life had dealt him its cards and he just had to play with them. He just had to muster the courage and demand for Hinata to undergo _in vitro_ insemination. He'd add a few more people to his _to-make-miserable_ list.

After all the key turning, security digits pushing and other BS, he found himself on the fifteenth floor, heading towards the door. Pushing the key into the lock, he decided he would just knock at the atelier's door. That's how he called Hinata's personal room. She spent her time looked in there doing some of her shit. He had no idea what it was that she did. Read, wrote, drew, sewed. But he knew she did something between cleaning and cooking. At least he damn well hoped so. Then again, he could easily imagine her blankly staring at a point on the wall

Anyways, he would just knock on the damn door to announce his presence and then crash on their bed and sleep through the week. That sounded like a great plan. And he would have done so had he not been welcome by a very surprising … uhm … surprise.

It was standing there, in the apartment's entranceway. Staring up at him with red eyes. Now that was pretty peculiar, right there. But hey, when you had the _Sharingan_, the _Mangyekō_ and the freaking _Rinnegan_ … while living with a _Byakugan_-wielder, seeing a pair of red eyes didn't exactly have the same effect on you as on normal people. Had he missed his floor or something?! Nah, those paintings on the hallway walls were Hinata's. So … uh … what the fuck was that?!

It opened its mouth in awe. Sasuke wasn't the only one struck dumb. Obviously, it was a kid. Hinata's love child?! The thought made Sasuke snicker inwardly. Right, 'cause she had been impregnated by the Holy Spirit, or some shit like that. Well, ok. Let us first close the door, which Sasuke did carefully, making barely any noise.

"Zinobi-san …"

It pointed its finger at him in surprise. That was one damn cute kid, Sasuke had to admit. And all his bad mood evaporated in thin air. Sasuke had a thing for kids. Not that way, for fuck's sake. What the hell! Nah, he liked kids. He had always liked them. And obviously, he wanted some of his own. And this was what they would have to look like. A mop of unruly black hair on the top of their head and _Sharingan_ eyes. Ok, well that wasn't a _Sharingan_, but it was the closest thing he'd ever seen to one. Besides his own eyes. Or Madara's. Great way of becoming all gloomy again, Uchiha. Thinking about your great grand-uncle … or whatever Madara had been to him.

Sasuke would have been hard-pressed to say whether it was a boy or a girl though. What he did know was that the monkey it was holding looked like a godforsaken serial killer. Something right out of horror movies. Dear Lord, who had been the psycho that had given that damn thing to a kid. It was yellow and green and had red eyes. And looked right at Sasuke as if it was about to go for his throat. It was nothing but a stuffed animal, for fuck's sake. Sasuke honestly needed a psychiatrist at this point.

Hunching down, he extended his hand and ruffled the child's hair as greeting. And unlike so many children that would have ran away, that kid just grinned at him in awe. Strangely, it reminded him of those Hyūga children and the thought was sobering. However, something was off. There was something shifting around, Sasuke could feel it. And so could the kid.

"Zinobi-san! The lion … eat Mōgorō!"

Eat … what?! Before Sasuke could process the words, the ugly-shit monkey was being pushed into his hands and the kid ran behind him. Ok, what the fuck was happening?! Feeling the small hands grab onto his waist and the kid's cheek flattening against his spine, Sasuke wondered whether this was the moment he activated his _Sharingan_ and went after whatever shit it was that wanted to eat … Mōgorō.

And then, he heard it. A deep voice that growled. What. The. Fuck?!

"Mōgorō … I am coming to eat y-you. Raaawr."

Was that a stutter?! And a pretty shitty roar!?

The kid just squealed in fright, tightening its hold on Sasuke's waist, or what it reached of it. Damn.

She chose to appear at that very instant. On all four. With some yellow scarf puffing around her head and some black and yellow make-up on her face. As their eyes met, her jaw dropped. His lips parted ever so slightly. Their eyes widened. This … was one of those awkward situations that had always worried Sasuke. You know, all that shit about waking up to realize you had lived a lie. Right there.

And he would have pondered upon it further had he not noticed what Hinata had been wearing. Well, besides the scarf and make-up. It was the first time Uchiha Sasuke saw Hyūga Hinata wearing a tank top. A black tank-top. And being on all four … she gave him an excellent view of the greatest rack he had ever seen. Like … ever. He wanted to shift his eyes, but couldn't. That was one killer cleavage. And was she wearing a black lace bra?! Count on a man to forget all his guilt when flashed with a nice pair of breasts. What do you want him to tell you; he was a breast-guy!

As Hinata realized what Sasuke's eyes were focused on, her temperature soared. And in no time, the creamy skin of her breasts took a crimson hue. A yelp. And before Sasuke could say anything in his defense, the woman shifted around, did her best to stand, sticking her butt up in the process, and ran back to the living room.

Did someone _Tsukuyomi_ his ass?! 'Cause he must have been living in an alternate universe. Like … was this thing that clung to him his kid … and did his _wife_ transform into a fluffy fantasy?! Yo, maybe he was a fucking fluffy and all that had been foreplay?! Ok, shut up, Uchiha. You need a good week's sleep. This all went back to Sasuke's theories about Monkey-Naruto. He could write a fucking PhD thesis about Wildcat-Hinata now …

Stepping aside, the kid just peered up at him in admiration. This _shinobi_-san was … a hero. A real life hero like those she heard about in daycare. He had chased the evil lion away. Saved Mōgorō.

"Zinobi-san saved Mōgorō …"

Yup. Sasuke was the man. And the way that child looked at him, he could bet it was a girl. Only a girl could make a guy feel like a fucking god for killing some goddamn mosquito. But come on, give Sasuke some credit, he just made a liger or a tigon go pussycat. Note to himself, tell Hinata lions didn't have stripes. In no time, the little girl's arms were thrown around Sasuke's neck and he was being showered with thank yous. Why weren't all women so easily satisfied?! Kill a lion for them and they would kiss you. Nah, that wasn't how life worked.

Grabbing onto the kid's body with one hand, clutching the ugly-ass monkey with the other, Sasuke stood up and made his way to the living room. Seems Hinata had hid somewhere but they could hear water running in the kitchen. Well, she owed him an explanation, to say the least. Maybe this was a part-time job. The trophy wife gets sick of sitting around while hubby is away on business trips, so she becomes a nanny. _Har har_.

Carefully seating the girl on the couch and passing her her beloved psycho-monkey, Sasuke parked his own ass by her side, waiting for his _wife_ to reappear. And she did. With her face wet and the scarf she had been sporting thrown over her shoulders. To hide her cleavage most probably. There still was some make-up left on the side of Hinata's face and she was so red she reminded Sasuke of a lobster. Sasuke was allergic to seafood.

"Ano … _d-danna-s-sama_ … p-please, l-let me explain …"

Uh oh. She was bugging. Sasuke wondered whether he could debug her the way Kakashi did with his computer. Uhm. No, he did not plan on transforming Hinata into a battered woman. He had done more than enough … As soon as he remembered what had gone down five months ago again, Sasuke tensed and Hinata noticed it immediately. Fuck, she was in for it. And what type of Hyūga was she when she hadn't seen him coming?! Well, he was two days early, to say the least. She wouldn't have accepted to babysit Yuina for two days had she known her _husband_ would appear out of thin air.

But Yuina would have none of their awkwardness. Jumping up and down on her seat, she threw her hands up, with Mōgorō comfortably stuck between her legs.

"Nina-_nee-san_, Nina-_nee-san_, Nina-_nee-san_ … look! Zinobi-san!"

Nina … _nee-san_?! Oh, no way! This was fucking hilarious. Don't tell Sasuke this was Hyūga Hiashi's love child?! Damn. Imagining his stern father-in-law cavorting with some young girl. Something barely legal. Doggy-style. In a bush. Priceless. Good thing Uchiha Sasuke was known for his perfect self-control. Because he would have just fallen to the ground and started rolling around, laughing his ass off.

But he stayed focused. And he wouldn't be able to tell you whether it had been a good thing. Because what he saw punched him in the guts. Hinata's eyes left him and turned towards the little girl. Her lips pulled up into a smile. A real smile. Not just a fraction, not just a fleeting illusion Sasuke caught in the corner of his eye. She smiled. And that smile made him want to disappear. He felt like a fucking intruder. That was not a smile that had ever been meant for him to see.

No. With him, Hinata was like a perfect porcelain doll, never letting her guard down. This woman he was seeing was not one he knew. And yet … he realized with horror that he needed to see that smile. His stomach heaved while his eyes remained glued to Hinata's lips. Uchiha Sasuke had done a lot of bad shit in his life. However, after all the corpses he had left to rot on his path, after all the pain he had brought to those he had loved the most, he still considered his actions towards Hyūga Hinata as the most reprehensible.

What he had done to her had been a sin, as much as he had wanted to believe otherwise. But he had not only sinned against her. He had also sinned against himself. Against his ideals. Against his standards. The only two rules that had kept him sane for almost a decade. And that smile, soft and fragile, told him that maybe … he had not broken her as he had thought. Uchiha Sasuke did not know that Hinata had already been broken one thousand times over and that her smile was nothing but a reflection of the past. But whatever does it for him.

It was the innocent smile of a child. Not that of a woman. Unconditionally loving, confident and good. Simple. For the first time since Sasuke had met Hinata, she looked simple. And not in a bad way. Her pulp lips parted and her voice quivered, but the smile remained. And would remain tattooed forever on Sasuke's retina. A reminder that however vile the sin, it could not destroy natural goodness.

"Y-yes, Yuina-chan, it is a _shinobi-s-san_."

In a hazardous move, the little girl tried to jump down the couch and would have most probably broken her nose on their wood flooring had Sasuke not grabbed her by the collar and lifted her up in the air. And to his surprise, she did not even realize. She simply continued jerking her legs as if she were running. Fuck him, how cute was that?! Uchiha Sasuke really liked kids. He should've become a fucking schoolmaster at that point.

Placing her on the ground, he looked with awe at how fast Yuina made it from point A to point B and threw herself around Hinata's legs. Clutching onto Hinata's knees, she turned around and shot Sasuke an endearing smile, all proud and excited.

"Zinobi-san … my _nee-san_."

That energetic bundle of joy could not be Hyūga Hiashi's. No fucking way. Hyūga Hiashi spawned the likes of Sasuke's sister-in-law. Then again, Hinata was his daughter too … so … Whatever.

"Yu-chan, d-do you want to introduce yourself p-properly?"

Looking up at her _nee-san_, the little girl became all serious as she nodded her head. Letting go of Hinata's knees she shifted to her side. Bowing her head, she slurred a few generic words of respect.

"My name is Yuina. Pwease take ca'e of me …"

"S-Sasuke-_nii-san_."

"… Suke-_nii-san_."

And another _nii-san_ to add to her impressive collection of male role models. No wonder all the boys at her daycare were scared of her. She had a real battalion of _nii-san_.

That was the moment Sasuke's stomach chose to grumble. How fucking mortifying was that?! Did he just … dude. Had he been the type to blush, he would have. But he wasn't, so he simply shot Hinata a stern glance that dared her to comment. And she was the one that blushed for him. But count on Yuina's stomach to join in.

"_Nee-san_ … hungry."

Forgetting completely that she had to uphold her perfect act of cold Hyūga-_hime_ (since that had been the only thing about her that had ever pleased Uchiha Sasuke), Hinata sighed and smiled down at the little girl. She had to feed her menagerie. And make dinner. And amuse Yu-chan. While having Uchiha Sasuke in the apartment.

"Is Mōgorō-k-kun hungry as well?"

Turning his head, Sasuke shot the stuffed toy a suspicious glare. The damn thing had been forgotten on the couch and was barely a centimeter from Sasuke's thigh. Like, he almost expected the shit to bite him, honestly.

"Yesh."

The girl decidedly nodded her head and ran back to the couch, extending her arms to grab her ugly-ass stuffed toy. Sasuke passed it over, wondering how she could tame that wild beast.

"Mōgorō-k-kun, Yuina-chan, come and help _nee-san_ prepare a s-snack."

Offering Sasuke-_nii-san_ her hand, Yuina-chan smiled up at him, showing her little white teeth. A child's smile. Similar to Hinata's. Innocent and simple. And then, an animal would come along and … He frowned and Hinata mistook his expression for dislike.

"Suke-_nii-san_ help too?"

"No, Yu-chan, S-Sasuke-_nii-san_ is tired. Let him r-rest, you will play with him later."

Never. That was what she meant. Of course. Why would Hinata let him get near a kid, right?! No sane parent would permit it. No sane _nee-san_ either. And so, Hinata wouldn't either. His name on her tongue had a strange ring to it. Maybe because of that peculiar, aristocratic pronunciation of hers. Maybe because of her stutter. He didn't' know. But the way she said _Sasuke_ gave his name a whole new meaning that she seemed to be the only one to understand.

Grabbing onto the little girl's hand, she pulled her away towards the dining room, leaving Sasuke behind. To be tortured by memories he would have rather forgotten. Weird how Hinata's back reminded him of their wedding night. A beautiful silhouette he was left to admire through a closed _shōji_. She was fucking right to shield herself and to fake all that coldness. Or was she faking the joy at the moment? That was the thing about Hyūga Hinata. She was like water slipping through your fingers. Sometimes fluid, velvety, refreshing like with that kid. Sometimes solid, cold and trenchant. That's the only Hinata he had really known until then.

Itachi. She was exactly like Itachi. Sure, she was much weaker than his brother. On a purely physical basis. However, she too was able to switch between multiple masks. Strangely enough, he could imagine her wearing the _Akatsuki_ mantle and battle alongside hardened criminals as much as he could picture her worshipping at the feet of a god as his high priestess. A dangerous little thing he had married.

However, that smile had been genuine. Sasuke needed to believe that. And the way she had looked down at the child … There was a lot of shit you could fake. For example, hatred. How well had Sasuke faked hatred? Pretty well. So had Itachi. But love, love was something no one could fake. It was too complex a feeling. And she hadn't faked it as she had taken Yuina's hand. It gave Sasuke some hope. Fuck. For the last five months, the only thing he had been able to think about was this woman. This Hinata he had married. And here he was, hoping that after all redemption was not as far away as he had imagined.

Uchiha Sasuke was a selfish man that desired to redeem himself, believing that it would liberate _him_. He was sick of thinking about Hinata every instant. Sick of seeing her face whenever he thought about his brother. About that Oto girl. He wanted to be free from the guilt that oppressed him. And hence, he needed to assure himself that Hinata was ok. As happy as could be expected after what he had done to her. He needed to know that they were good, that whatever had been broken could be fixed. Sasuke really was a selfish prick. And he fucking realized.

Passing a hand through his hair, he attuned his ears to the giggles that he imagined coming from the kitchen. He couldn't hear them clearly. But come on, what else do chicks do beside giggle?! Then again … He had seen Sakura and Ino go at each other. Giggling wasn't exactly what chicks always did when they were together. Uppercuts could fly as well. But he couldn't imagine Hinata getting violent. Too much self-restraint. Her sister though …

His stomach grumbled again. Fuck. He was famished. The shit with his trinome was that none of them knew how to cook. So Naruto did the job. And was pretty bad at it. Sasuke could spend days without eating anything because of that. Die of hunger or of poisoning?! Hunger, thanks. He hadn't eaten since they've left Kumo. And his thoughts were having a feast, autocannibalizing themselves. Five months of shit, man. And no sex. He hadn't had any for five fucking months. And the worst part was … he didn't want any. Honestly. Like fucking honest. He wasn't able to get it up. At all. His wedding night had castrated him beyond return.

Celibacy it was for the rest of his life. And funny shit, he didn't miss the anonymous sex that left him feeling dirty. He didn't miss the smell of bodily fluids and cheap perfume clinging to his body. The boiling showers he took to sterilize himself. He couldn't remember the face of would it be one chick he had fucked. He couldn't even remember all the positions of the _Kama Sutra_ he had tried. Damn, he was becoming a pussy. And he didn't even mind.

But he did care about his stomach … and Yuina seemed to agree with him, because she chose that very instant, with him debating his sex life or the lack thereof, to peek out of the dining room. Carefully, a tray in her hands, and Hinata standing behind her, she made her way towards the small glass table in front of Sasuke. No. Fucking. Way?! Those could not be … tomatoes?! Like, is this the moment he falls on his knees and asks the girl to marry him?! A seventeen-year gap, who cares?! Oh wait, he was already married. Polygamy then!

His stomach let out a roar of triumph as Hinata helped Yuina set the trail in front of him. The young woman placed a basket of dry bread beside the trail and kindly thanked Yuina for her help. Looking around frantically, the little girl realized she had forgotten her acolyte in the kitchen and ran away, leaving Hinata and Sasuke alone. Staring at each other and then shifting their glances to the food. Damn, this was so fucking awkward. He truly felt he had intruded. He was so off in the whole picture.

Seating herself on the floor in front of the table, Hinata did her best not to blush. Not that she had any control over that. This was truly mortifying. The Uchiha was back from his mission to find the apartment in such a mess. She hadn't disinfected the place for at least two days. The only thing Hinata did for Sasuke. Cleaning and cooking. And she hadn't even gotten that right. Embarrassment was making her suffocate. She needed out. She wanted to run away and hide somewhere. Yet, there was no place for her to go. Then, this mess with Yuina. She hadn't even asked his permission. It must have annoyed him greatly to have a small child running around.

"Ano … _d-danna-s-sama_ … I am sorry. My _s-sensei_ … she n-needed someone to w-watch over Yuina-chan on a short n-notice …"

Oh, her _sensei_. So it wasn't Hiashi's love child after all. That sucked dicks. Sasuke would have loved to rub it into his father-in-law's face on their next _fuck-Sasuke-over_ meeting. He didn't like the way Hinata shifted her eyes to the floor. It was her goddamn apartment. Her fucking building. Everything they had was hers. She could do whatever she damn wanted! Hell, for all Sasuke cared, she could bring her lover and fuck him in their bed. Now, it was kinda tough to get yourself a lover when you never left the apartment, but you get the image.

"No worries."

She tensed. First time he told her something that had nothing to do with missions and dates. No worries. But she was worried. Her life was completely and wholly based on worries. How could he so easily tell her not to worry?! Funny how the smallest things could enrage a stressed woman. But self-restraint was her greatest quality, hence Hinata did not comment on the fact she didn't have the luxury of disappearing on missions when things got tough.

Yuina ran back with her psycho-monkey, and before Hinata could stop her, climbed onto the couch beside Sasuke and turned her expectant face to him.

"I helped", she proudly announced, her eyes twinkling as she looked up at Sasuke-_nii-san_.

Hinata had seen girls look at him like that back in the days. He had that effect on all females. And she had always found it annoying. _She_ had never seen anything at all in Uchiha Sasuke. A beautiful face without any content. So she had thought before he had gone rogue. And, oh the irony, she was stuck living with him now. The very man that had never inspired anything but irritation in her. Nothing. Void. She felt like screaming, crying, throwing the plate of tomatoes at him. But she wouldn't do it. Nope, she would just stare at him for the first time of her life … because, Uchiha Sasuke smiled … Ok, he smirked. And before she could process what the heck had happened, he extended his hand and gently ruffled Yuina's tousled locks. What … Who was this man?! Hinata was tempted to activate her _Byakugan_ and check his _tenketsu_ just in case.

"Looks delicious", he shot back at the little girl, as he reached for a small tomato and popped it into his mouth.

Refrain. From. Moaning. Be a fucking man, Uchiha, you pussy. But goddammit, they had filled the tomato with mozzarella cheese and olive oil. His taste buds were orgasming. Not only was it food. It was edible food. Delicious food. How long had it been since he had actually tasted anything he had eaten in this fucking apartment?! Actually, whatever he had eaten there had tasted like dust. And all of a sudden … alleluia!

"Is good?!"

Yuina was excited. Sasuke-_nii-san_ was eating her tomatoes!

"Bread", she ordered.

And he obliged, stuffing his face. Grabbing onto the napkin of the bread basket, he just pulled it out and took another tomato. This time though he shook it in front of the child's nose.

"Open."

She did as she was told, with the napkin pressed against her small chin. Biting onto the tomato she munched while Sasuke tried not to make a mess out of the situation. Opening her mouth again, she almost bit onto his fingers. That was damn close. He could imagine those tiny white teeth chopping the tip of his fingers off. There was something to be said about hungry kids.

"Mo'e!"

And they continued the little ritual of Sasuke feeding Yuina. Smirking down at her as she munched on the dry bread and grabbed for the tomatoes herself. She was going to get all messy, but whatever. Nothing that couldn't be cleaned with a wet rag. They were in their little world. Sasuke-_nii-san_ and Yuina-chan. Completely forgetting that there was someone else in the room, sitting on the floor and staring dumbfounded at the scene. Wait, wait. Wait, wait, wait. Uchiha Sasuke, the Avenger, the man that had made her father cuss on more than one occasion was sitting in their living room, on their goddamn couch, feeding a three-year old girl. Wiping her mouth … Smiling.

Who would have ever thought that Uchiha Sasuke could look … domestic. He looked domestic. And Hinata … didn't know what to think. She didn't want to look at it. During almost a year, she had tried to convince herself that he was not a human being. That he was a cold, calculating, conniving monster that could only match the Hyūga Elders in cruelty. His desire for children had appeared to her as a desire to create an empire of his own. Hence why he had permitted for the Hyūga to abuse him in all types of ways.

But then … why had he not touched Hinata for all these months? And why was he so soft to Yuina?! Maybe she was a little jealous. Whenever she loved something, there was someone else to come along and snatch it away. Hinata could see it. Yuina preferred Sasuke. Naruto had preferred Sakura. Neji had preferred death and Kō had preferred for Hinata to be as far away as possible. Her father had preferred Hanabi. Everyone had preferred Hanabi. Slowly standing up, without having touched any of the food, Hinata shot them one last glance. She would always be the outsider, wouldn't she? Even in her own apartment. And yet, Hinata did not hold a grudge. She was strangely relieved.

Relieved to know that if ever … if ever he did choose to have children with her, he would be a good father. A careful and loving father. And that those children would not suffer because there was no love between him and Hinata. If Sasuke could be soft towards the child of a stranger, Hinata wanted to believe he would be the same towards his own. The relief she felt made her eyes water.

Well, it was two p.m. and someone had to get dinner ready. No time for any of the snivelling. She had to feed her menagerie after all.

Sasuke took that moment to raise his head. Their eyes met. She blushed in mortification and he noticed how wet her eyelashes appeared to be. They glistened under the ceiling's light. She was crying. For the first time, he saw her cry. And she did it like a noble-woman. In fact, hadn't she been flushed with shame, Sasuke would have doubted himself. Only her eyelashes were damp, no tears staining her cheeks. Her expression was blank, like a mask. She shook and cried however. His jaw contracted. She saw it a as a movement of repulsion. It was not the proper of a noble-woman to cry, after all. But what did she care?! Bowing her head simply, she made her way towards the dining room.

And Sasuke turned his attention back to Yuina.

The thing was … Yuina wasn't exactly the calm type. Once she was done with her snack, she very much decided to go snoop around to see where her _nee-san_ went. Abandoning Sasuke in the process. Story of his life, whenever something good happened in his miserable life, it had to run away. With someone else, preferably. Picking up the empty tray and the bread basket, he decided to follow suite and at least make it somewhat easier for Hinata. He wouldn't make her do all the damn household chores. At least not while he was very much present.

And that is how it went. Hinata cooked. Sasuke ran after Yuina. Who made it a point of honor to tell him about that boy that pulled her hair … and whom she had kicked in the balls. She was fierce to say the least. And he was happy to hear her proclaim she had no crush and would never fall in love when Hinata asked her about it. Even if Hinata had cried for an instant, all the sadness was forgotten at seeing Yuina make a mess out of the whole apartment. And Sasuke always lingered a little longer in the kitchen as he came to pick up Yuina and drag her away.

For the first time in months, Hyūga Hinata looked alive. Sad and torn, but still smiling, her eyes twinkling with pleasure as she cut vegetables and bent down to give Yuina a carrot.

However, there was shit Sasuke could simply not take care off. Wrestle with Mōgorō he could. Make Yuina tell him everything about her life he could. For one, Sasuke could say he and Bika-_nii-san_ would get along very well. He had no fucking idea who the dude was. But he had instilled some damn good values in the little girl.

"Pwincess stupid, Bika-_nii-san_ says. I will be a zinobi!"

And then she jumped around, almost breaking Sasuke's jaw in the process. His type of girl.

"Come here."

He motioned to her and she obeyed.

"Make a fist with your hand."

Softy grabbing onto her hand, he bent her little fingers and raised his own palm. Punching that smitten little boy she had to bear in daycare would be more humane than destroying all his chances of ever reproducing.

Back to the shit Sasuke could not do. When Yuina started whimpering and crossing her legs, he knew it was _game over_ for him. Not going there. Nuh uh.

"_Nii-san_ … pee."

Yes, obviously. No. No. NO. Rubbing his forehead, he looked around himself, trying to escape the little girl's expectant eyes.

"Hinata!"

Okay. What the fuck, Uchiha?! That sounded … hysterical! Uchiha Sasuke was not fucking hysterical. But … this little time-bomb that was twisting around could explode any moment. Uchiha Sasuke, the Avenger, dangerous Konoha ANBU, was scared of a kid peeing on itself. And calling his _wife _to the rescue. This was too fucking pathetic. Someone kill him now.

Hinata did rush through the dining room. It had been the first time he had ever called her by her name. In fact, he never addressed her. Never even said _you_ to her. It had always been about dates between the two of them. Her heart beat faster, she half-expected to find Yuina dead or something along those lines. What in the name of God had made her abandon the child to Uchiha Sasuke?! But no, Yuina was very much alive. Jumping on the spot and whimpering.

"W-What–"

"She needs the washroom."

Oh. _Oh_. Yeah, obviously. But ... the food?!

Rushing to the little girl, Hinata took her in her arms and made way to the hallway leading to the bedrooms.

"Keep an eye on the food."

No stutter?! And was that a fucking order?! No one fucking ordered Sasuke around. Who the hell did she … and his stomach grumbled. Fucking again. Ok. Sasuke knew nothing, but fucking nothing, about cooking. However, she had said to keep an eye, not do anything. And he was about to autodigest himself, since tomatoes did just so much to calm the beast. Five minutes, right? He did walk towards the kitchen, grumbling under his breath. No one ordered Uchiha Sasuke around … beside his stomach.

As Hinata and Yuina made their way back to the living room, chitchatting about how Michi-chan at daycare had a fluffy little dog, her name was heard again.

"Hinata!"

It was a strange feeling, that of having Uchiha Sasuke speak her name. He had a peculiar way of saying it, as if there was a hidden meaning behind it. A meaning only he could understand. As she rushed through the dining room with Yuina trotting behind, Hinata was welcomed by an astounded Sasuke, leaning onto the countertop and suspiciously looking at the stove. The water had boiled and seeped through the lid. Walking towards the stove, Hinata simply turned down the fire.

As she spun around, it happened. Maybe was it because she had Kurenai back in her life. Maybe because small children had that way of making everything easier. But she laughed. Hyūga Hinata laughed. Her head thrown back, her beautiful white teeth glistening in the light. Because there was something to be said about a wide-eyed Uchiha Sasuke.

An S-ranked criminal. A man that had provoked one of the greatest bloodbaths in the history of the _Shinobi_ World. Overpowered by an incontinent, well almost, little girl and a pan of boiling pasta. Had they only known, they might have avoided a catastrophe and the Fourth _Jinchūriki_ War.

Kneeling in front of Yuina, Hinata did her best to look as solemn as she could, while Sasuke still stood by the kitchen counter. Softly placing her hands on the little girl's shoulders, she looked straight into those hopeful, eager red eyes.

"Yuina-chan, Hinata-_n-nee-san_ has a mission for you. It is a very important m-mission. That only y-you can accomplish. I n-need to tell you a secret. Sasuke-_n-nii-san_ is a very dangerous _shinobi_. He came to ruin our dinner! I need you to keep a watchful eye on h-him or else we won't have anything to eat. C-Can you do that?!"

Well, at least the stutter was back. Ok. This was a fucking _Tsukuyomi_! Yuina looked up at him, back at Hinata, again at him. Squaring her little shoulders, she sighed dramatically and shot Sasuke one last stern glance. He was in for it. Maybe she would close him up in a cage with Mōgorō. Cage fighting in perspective.

"Yesh."

That sounded pretty decided. Grabbing onto his hand, she stubbornly pulled at it, peeling him away from the counter. Shooting an impassive glance at Hinata, he noticed how she blushed instantly and turned her eyes away. But the smile remained, even after she bit down on her pulp red lip. It would disappear fast enough, Sasuke knew. However just the knowledge that Hyūga Hinata still could smile in such a way … Wherever that Oto girl was, in Heaven if it existed or _Nirvana_, whatever, Sasuke hoped she could smile the same way Hinata did.

A wonder what kids could do to people, eh?

At five p.m., they finally got to sit down on the floor like gypsies and dig in. It had a strange, intimate feel to it. Obviously, Hinata and Sasuke did not communicate. They did everything in their power to avoid each other. But having a small child opening her mouth like a baby bird at every instance had a way of making them forget how empty they were, in fact. Hugging Sasuke, kissing Hinata, Yuina brought them together for that fleeting instant.

He was still displeased though. This Hinata he was looking at, made of flesh and bones, appeared ten thousand times more fragile than the one he had known at the Hyūga compound. And so much younger. Like a child. She made him feel vile. Vile and ancient. But he would take anything besides those empty, cold eyes that would pierce through him without seeing him. Reminding him over and over again of what he had done.

Guilt burned in the pit of his stomach as he pushed noodles past Yuina's lips. One day, an animal would come and … No. Such things would not happen to this little girl. The way they had happened to so many little girls. Konoha was too strong a village for its inhabitants to suffer such repercussions. And nothing in Yuina's behavior made Sasuke think that she was the daughter of a clan leader and would ever be sold off like a commodity. She would be safe, right? Right?!

Hinata didn't eat much. It had been a long while since she had been able to truly taste something. Everything tasted of dust. Dust and Neji's blood. Back in the days, Kiba had fed her. Always making food appear in front of her nose and demanding she ate it. She remembered those days fondly. Sure, Kiba had made her chubby however it had felt like a family. Team eight had felt like a real family. She dropped her chopsticks on the plate after having barely touched her food. And Sasuke noticed it. Fact was, until then, he had never seen Hinata eat. Maybe he would have commented on it. Nah, he wouldn't have. Because he honestly didn't give a shit. He really didn't.

As soon as Sasuke and Yuina were done devouring their food, Hinata stood up, content with the fact that they had cleaned their plates so well. Made dishwashing so much easier. Because she sure as hell did not use that disgusting dishwasher. She washed the dishes by hand, thank you very much.

"Ano … _d-danna-s-sama_ … forgive me, but would you mind reading Y-Yu-chan a s-story …"

"Hn."

"Sto'y?! But Nina-_nee-san_ promised …"

"I p-promise to tell you a very special story before b-bed. D-Don't you want to show Sasuke-_n-nii-san_ your pretty book?"

That hadn't exactly been part of the plan. But then again, Uchiha Sasuke had not been part of the plan either. So, he would have to sacrifice himself. And the idea of Sasuke reading Yuina one of Inuzuka Tanako-_sensei_'s storybooks made Hinata snicker inwardly. Those were a special set of storybooks. Most probably a gift from Kiba, meant to empower their little Yu-chan. Hinata hoped Sasuke didn't have anything against strong female leads and gentlemen-in-distress.

And honestly, Sasuke didn't mind one bit. Hell, he really had a thing for chicks that didn't swoon at the first pretty face they saw. Like, fuck man, what was it with women just abandoning all their ambitions for some dude that would ditch them anyways?! Ask Sasuke, he could tell you one thing; bimbos could keep a guy's attention for about thirty seconds, the time it took for him to unload inside of them … or anywhere about them, really. And then?! Well, that was pretty much it.

Look at Sakura, for example. The girl had a lot of potential. However, it had taken her twelve years to realize herself. Shit a chick like TenTen could've accomplished in a year or two. Fact was, Sakura had concentrated her whole life on getting Sasuke, and anything she had achieved was mostly to impress him. And she did impress him. Just that, fuck, that was a lot of pressure. What guy could bear knowing he was the center of a chick's universe?! Only the psycho type that needed a sycophant. No thanks.

Yuina disappeared in the hallway again, heading towards their bedroom. In no time she came back with one ugly-ass bag. What the hell was wrong with her parents?! They bought her fucking scary shit. No cutie pink stuff for her, that was for sure. Her bag looked like a rabid dog. As she unzipped it, the bag opened its mouth wide, showing fangs. Dude.

"Suke-_nii-san_, look! My doggy."

More like a wild dingo, if you wanted his opinion.

"Hn. What's his name?"

"Akamaru-kun."

And a plate crashed to the floor. It had slipped from Hinata's hand and broken in hundreds of shards. Turning his head to her, he noticed how violent her quivers had gotten and how her eyes remained fixed on the broken pieces of porcelain that lied all around her feet. Immediately bending down, she started picking up them up one by one. With very little care for her hands. She didn't even realize when forefinger started bleeding.

"D-Don't walk here, Yu-chan. I need to clean it up."

Her voice had lost all its color and she had closed up like a clam. As Sasuke made a move to stand up, she shot him a glance so imperious that it froze the blood in his veins. Hyūga Hiashi. Those were his eyes that stared at him. And he decided that she could go fuck herself. She wanted to pick the shit up herself?! Fine. Fucking fine. There was no bigger ass-burner than having a Hyūga shoot him one of those arrogant, dismissive glances.

He let her take care of the whole mess by herself, fully ignoring the fact that her servility disturbed him. _Heh_. There was nothing fucking servile about Hyūga Hinata, her glare had proven as much. She just liked doing chores, none of his fucking business, whatever got her off. Focusing his whole attention back to Yuina, he didn't even notice that Hinata finally disappeared, nor did he hear the water running in the kitchen.

Had anyone ever told Sasuke that reading a story to a kid could become a full-time job, he wouldn't have believed it. Another thing Sasuke never did was imitate … ok, no, he did imitate. With his _Sharingan_. Well, better say, he had never imitated anything besides _jutsu_ until then. But here he had a three-year _demanding_ he changed voices for each and every character … the fact most of the characters, from hero to villain, were females didn't seem to disturb the little girl at all. Then she wanted for him to show off moves. The fact there was a lot of punching in that storybook did not seem to traumatize her one bit either.

Pointing her finger at the emasculated male character, Yuina snickered. Yes, snickered. A three-year old snickering. Right by Sasuke's side.

"Bika-_nii-san_ says boys stupid."

That Bika-_nii-san_ was a traitor to dude-hood. According to the international norms of manhood, also called "Man Laws", it would actually be legal to roast and eat him. Glancing sideways at Mōgorō, he finally got where the frown came from. Man, the kid made Sasuke feel like a pussy. He could just imagine how those boys at daycare felt. And he could also see why they picked on her. Who wouldn't fall in love with that bundle of sarcastic independence?! She would make a great … Mitarashi Anko … when she grew up. Or not. Her brain might get hijacked by hormones like in Yamanaka Ino's case. Who was still pretty badass in her own, dominatrix type of way.

Eventually, as night started falling, Yuina calmed down as well. It was time for her to recharge her batteries so she could be an atomic explosion early in the morning. And Sasuke honestly wondered where the fuck Hinata was. He could just imagine her sitting at the dining table, staring blankly at some point on the wall.

And obviously, speaking of the devil … She chose that very moment to sway in, seemingly in a much better mood. Women and their wonky mood swings. Made Sasuke wonder how all-female societies could function. Like, what happened when chicks had their period at the same time … He shuddered at the very thought of it. Sakura, Karin and hormones. Traumatic.

Walking towards the glass-door leading to the balcony, Hinata pushed the curtains aside. Looking up, she noticed something that apparently pleased her. Her eyes twinkled as she called Yuina over to her.

"It's t-time for your bedtime story, Yu-chan."

Gingerly, the little girl pushed herself up from the floor and made her way towards Hinata, rubbing her tired eyes. Hinata bent down and picked the little body up before pushing the glass panels aside and stepping out. The fresh air smelled of rain. But they were lucky; there were no clouds to hide the full moon.

She let the door open so that her voice filtered through the curtain and reached Sasuke's ears. Funny shit, he had hated her stutter and desired for her to remain silent forever. And now, he would most probably hate her silences. Hinata's voice, even when she stammered, was not disagreeable, especially when she told stories.

Hinata was telling Yuina about the old man in the moon. About his loneliness and how he had come to the Earth to find himself a faithful companion. He had disguised as a poor man and encountered Mr. Monkey, Mr. Fox and Miss Bunny. Telling them how hungry he was, he had asked for their help. Mr. Monkey and Mr. Fox had brought much food and generously offered it to him. Miss Bunny however had had nothing to give the poor old man and had suggested he made a fire and ate her. That is how deep her sadness had been at the thought of his hunger. Touched by such kindness, the old man in the moon had decided to take her back with him. And now, many little bunnies lived on the moon and made delicious _mochi_.

Sasuke hadn't felt himself stand up from the couch and walk towards the glass door. He had not realized he was pushing aside the curtain. Her voice had attracted him. Sticking his head out, he took a good look at them. A little girl with her head comfortably settled on her _nee-san_'s shoulder. And a young woman staring at the full moon that had taken a strange red hue.

_Akatsuki_. A contradictory word, wasn't it? One he did not want to think about. One he had hoped would get buried with his brother's death. He had no idea how wrong he was. They had called it Dawn, but to him it had always been a bloody moon. A bleak, treacherous light in darkness.

The breeze of the evening was making Hyūga Hinata's tresses fly all around her. At times engulfing her face, shielding her from his prying glance. Lonely. She looked so lonely, with the moon reflected in those sleepy eyes of hers. If there was one thing he could recognize was loneliness. Uchiha Sasuke added people to share his misery. Hyūga … no, _Uchiha_ Hinata added people to her loneliness.

As she looked at the moon, Hinata frowned ever so slightly. And made Sasuke want to fucking punch something. Hyūga and their love story with the moon. Yuina moved her small head on Hinata's shoulder and let sleep claim her, oblivious to Sasuke's presence. And his rage.

_Kaguya_ had been the mother of all Hyūga and waited for them on the moon, that's how the legend went, didn't it? Hyūga ended up on the moon when they died. While the rest of them commoners rotted five feet under, right?! Now had Sasuke asked a Hyūga about that legend, he would have been labelled a lunatic. Ask a Hyūga where he'll go when he dies and he'll answer _to the crematorium_. Nihilism all the way.

Yet, looking at how Hinata's eyes shimmered, Sasuke was convinced the Hyūga had had the sweetest dreams in the _Tsukuyomi_. After all, did they not proclaim their loyalty at every given occasion? Was it too far-fetched to believe their first and foremost loyalty laid with their ancestor? Sasuke believed that what he had suffered at their hands had been a type of revenge. The repercussions of having defeated Ōtsutsuki Kaguya. Hyūga could not accept that anything that could be associated with them did not come up to scratch. Too bad good ol' Kaguya had also been Sasuke's great-great-great-great-grandma. And he was not known for his respect for senior citizens. Madara was a good example of that.

"It m-must feel so lonely, up there."

He let the curtain slip between his fingers, taking a step back. Deciding he would head out to the gym (in the middle of the night again, the genius that had invented twenty-four seven gyms should've become _Hōkage_), the Uchiha walked away from the glass door. Leaving behind that woman he did not know and that child that had made him realize. Made him realize, without Sasuke wanting to admit it, how good a mother _Hyūga_ Hinata would be. Unfortunately, she could wear the Uchiha name like ornament, but never be one of them.

He really hoped that the moon felt fucking lonely.

**x.x.x.**

The November air was not only cold; it also felt heavy as it slapped Sasuke across the face. Flashing his ID, he did his best to nod at the guard by the Konoha Gates. Fuck. This did not feel good, not good at all. Sasuke knew he wouldn't make it to the _Hōkage_ Tower. His immunity system was working way too hard at the moment. Whatever it was that was making his temperature soar, Sasuke did not need it, honestly.

He had a fever. A pretty bad one at that. He could barely get his eyes to focus. A shiver ran down Sasuke's spine. _Dōjutsu_ wielders had bad immunity systems. Uchiha especially. Generally, _Dōjutsu_ eyes were not recognized as part of the user's body. Hence, their immunity system had to be pretty shitty for them not to reject their own eyes. A few two hundred years ago, the Hyūga Clan had almost been decimated by the influenza virus. A shitty little virus that got rid of toddlers and oldies. Not of strong _shinobi_. And unfortunately, theY had bounced back. With only thirty percent of their population left. But count on the Hyūga to repopulate their shitass compound _presto_.

All that to say Sasuke's innate immunity system was going crazy because his adaptive one was unresponsive. Why?! Not only were the Uchiha _Dōjutsu_-wielders. They also had the bad habit of switching eyes and shit. Their immune system was the equivalent of a cuddly baby rabbit. Inoffensive to any type of microorganism.

His stomach heaved painfully. What epidemic did Kiri have going on at the moment? He didn't know. The only thing he did know was that he would lose consciousness soon. He would collapse and the _Sharingan_ would go crazy. The last time he had been sick went way back. And he had almost killed Suigetsu. Too bad he'd missed him.

Each one of his steps was torture, but pride made him stroll through the village, his back straight and the lower part of his face hidden under a scarf. At the way villagers stepped aside, he could bet his _Sharingan_ had already activated. Fuck. He honestly did not need for ANBU to appear and start shit with him because of his fucking eyes. He would kill them without wanting and get into trouble. Again.

He needed to make it to his apartment building. It was close enough to the village gates. However, as he took the decision, Sasuke felt it. The _knock knock_ on his backdoor as his stomach started spinning inside of him. Double fuck. Not that. Please, Lord. Not fucking that. And his … anus (that's how the damn thing was called, for fuck's sake) started to burn. His muscles around it contracted desperately.

Uchiha Sasuke was a little bitch when it came to viral infections. Or bacterial for that matter.

He knew he would puke. That was a given. However diarrhea had not been part of the fucking plan. Not at all. He picked up pace, all his prayers turned towards the heavens. He had to make it to his apartment while his brain was still _on_. And he did manage that. He even succeeded in pushing in the key and not get stopped by the security guard. The dude got accustomed to Sasuke appearing out of the blue. It is in the elevator that shit went down.

The content of his stomach rushed to his mouth. He tried to swallow it back. His eyes lost focus completely and everything started to spin. Not only his stomach. Sasuke would fucking crap himself in an elevator. Oh, the stereotype. Elevator pooper. There was no cocksucking sound more glorious then the elevator announcing the fifteenth floor. For the first time of his life, Sasuke could appreciate the effect routine had on a guy's life. Because, he had no contact with reality as he pushed in the security digits that granted him entry to the fifteenth floor. He didn't remember the number; he didn't even see the pad. _Hip hip hurray_ for routine. Who was the son of a bitch that had ever complained about it?!

Sasuke couldn't believe he had made it that far. It was a miracle. However, he had to reach the door to his apartment now. And that was easier said than done. Because he could almost feel his butthole burst. It was about to happen. Mr. Danger moaned in anguish as he took a step. From roaring lion, disease had transformed him into a purring pussycat. Someone just pass him a fucking pair of high heels.

Reaching out, his palm flattened against the hallway's wall. Sasuke had no idea how long it took him to get to his apartment's door. His legs were filled with lead. At least it felt so. But he hadn't had his anus go explosive on the situation just of yet. Bless the little joys. His shaking fingers fumbled with the keys, trying desperately to find the right one without seeing it. Fever was making him truly weak and his ears were starting to ring. That is how he lost contact with reality. His instincts took over and shit got more productive. The key got into the lock, the door got thrown open and he finally got his ass in.

He did not crap the entranceway. He did not crap the living room. He had won a few battles. If Sasuke won the war, he would be a real fucking hero. Not that he would realize since his brain had finally been unhooked. In the hallway leading to the bedroom, he desperately tried to open the bathroom. Locked. For fuck's sake! Hinata must have been in there. Which was weird, she usually used the washroom adjacent to their bedroom. Whatever, he didn't give a fuck about her goddamn habits. She could shove them up her … No, don't think about it, Uchiha. Just get to the washroom and do not think about anyone's keister.

Flinging the door to their bedroom open, he did not notice the clothes that had been laid on their enormous bed. He wouldn't have been able to see a fucking elephant in their room at this point. His trembling fingers reached for his fly. He unzipped his damn pants and almost kicked in the door to the washroom. In no time, his ass was seated on the stylish porcelain bowl that they used as shitter.

Everything around him was blurry, his ears were ringing and his butthole hurt so much. Sasuke would have cried … not. But it still was an excruciating feeling. As if his whole loins were seeping out of his body. A tortured moan reverberated through his throat. Everything was spinning around him. And that is when Sasuke felt a gust of humid, hot air hit him in the face. He didn't need to focus his eyes or even hear the shower curtain being tentatively pulled aside to know … that he had fucked up big time.

As Hinata stuck out her damp head, Sasuke felt his inside contort. This was a nightmare. A real nightmare. He had been worried he would have walked on Hinata babysitting her _sensei_'s kid again. And potentially infected the poor thing. Indirectly infecting her whole daycare. But this was one hundred times worse. And she would agree. A yelp and she disappeared behind the curtain again. He was not the only one that was combusting. Had he taken a good look at her, he would have had an allergic reaction. Boiled crab all the way.

However, count on Hinata's motherly feelings to kick in. Sasuke wasn't the only one to have killer instincts. A hand tentatively appeared and grabbed onto the lavender towel that was hanging from the wide-open door. Sasuke was obviously in a lot of pain, from the growls and grunts she was hearing. She had no idea what had happened, however at the sound of it, he had diarrhea. Pretty badly at that. She had two choices, either stay inside of the tub and wait for him to disappear as he had appeared. Which could take a while. Or to get out of there and give him a hand. Which she knew he would refuse.

Hinata was starting to get cold in there and those tortured moans were too awful to bear. A long, white leg appeared from behind the curtain. Had Sasuke noticed it, he might have reconsidered his wish for celibacy. Sasuke was not only a breast-man, he was also a leg-dude. However, with the state he was in, he wouldn't have seen a naked chick had she appeared out of the blue.

A cold hand touched the crook of his neck, softly peeling off the scarf around his face. Then in softly caressed his shoulder before sliding to his forehead. He was burning. And not responding to her. Hinata was asking him many a thing and yet he did not even turn his head to her. In a horrible jerking movement, his hand shot out and grabbed her naked arm, pushing her away violently.

"Leave. Me. Alone", he whispered through his clenched teeth.

He had a fever. And his Sharingan would soon go into _Mangyekō_ mode. Hinata could see the small _chakra_ vesicles forming around his pupils. In fact, he had completely lost control over his _tenketsu_. _Chakra_ glitches. Pretty painful at that. Uchiha Sasuke was barely conscious at that point and she doubted he could see or hear anything. She wasn't all that surprised. He was sick and sick _Dōjutsu_ users could be dangerous, for themselves as much as for others.

Taking a step back, all the blood left her face and she became as pale as snow. He hid his face in his hands as his stomach contracted painfully. Hinata left the bathroom, the little contact he still had with reality told him as much. As she shifted, a gust of air caressed his hands and the side of his face. Good. Now he could be finally left alone to his suffering. This wasn't a fucking one-man show and he didn't need a cocksucking Hyūga to enjoy herself at the expense of his pain.

And yet … he would have wanted someone to be there. Aw, fuck you, Uchiha. You are being a goddamn pussy again. Grabbing onto the toilet paper with shaking hands, he tore off more than needed. He better get his ass off from the bowl, he might need to use it for something else. You know shit ain't that bad when you can wipe your own ass. Even if it hurts more than getting stabbed in the throat.

Doing his best to stand up, Sasuke felt himself lean in dangerously. And he would have broken his nose on their ceramic flooring, while flashing his cleanly-wiped ass, had someone not grabbed onto his waist and swung his arm around quivering, fragile shoulders. For fuck's sake. He would have been better off crapping himself in the middle of the street then relying on Hinata for support. He'd honestly hit the bottom. Fucking great. Sasuke did try to push her away and it earned him nothing but a hand grabbing onto his boxers and pulling them up. He was mortified. Hinata was about to faint. But that wouldn't have gotten them far. And it is not like she had looked. She hadn't. And she wouldn't. Oh, Lord. Please someone help her.

He threw his head back and the two of them almost collapsed as he lost strength in his legs. She kept on talking to him, but he was as responsive as a sea cucumber. Another pull. Now it was his pants' turn. And she did succeed in pulling those up, even if it made Sasuke's boxers ride up his buttcrack. November could replace September as the worst month in the year right about now.

They took a step together. Her cheek brushed against his. He felt that. He felt the coolness of her skin against his. A strange, yet comforting sensation. Sasuke noticed she did not pull away. She did startle however. And yet, she did not abandon him. Reaching out, Hinata flushed the toilet. Maybe was it the sound of water. Maybe was it the fact that he was pissed at having to rely on Hinata to get his sorry butt (his butt was very sorry, yes) out of the bathroom. Maybe even the unconscious knowledge he had lost an opportunity to see her half-naked. Yeah, right.

Anyways, all that to say that Sasuke puked. His stomach simply contracted all the way up to his throat, bullied his lungs aside and just relieved itself at Hinata's feet. Bad news was her own stomach heaved. Good news, while Sasuke painfully retched, she got a chance to close all of his upper-body _tenketsu_. A poke here. A probe there. A lot of _chakra_ invested on her part and miracle, all of Sasuke's _chakra_ flow uniformed. He would not hurt himself with all those _chakra_ glitches … and she might live to see the next day.

"C-Careful …"

She did the best to guide her _husband_ (who felt more like a five-year old kid than a grown man, at the moment) past the mess he had created. And succeeded. However it took them an extra five minutes to make it to the bed. On which they both crashed, intertwined like lovers. He was too much out of it to realize he had Hinata's killer rack pressed against his chest. She was too mortified to get a good feel of Sasuke's six-pack.

However, as she pushed up, she realized she would have to undress him one way or another. His clothes were drenched in sweat and he didn't stop shivering. His teeth clacking made a true racket. And Hinata better do that before going to clean the mess in the bathroom. With shaking hands (for a change), and her whole body combusting (out of embarrassment mostly), she unbuttoned his coat. It took her a good ten minutes to get Sasuke to roll around so she could pull his arms out of the sleeves. The black shirt underneath was sticking to every edge of his body. Lean muscles. There was nothing left to the imagination.

Ok. She couldn't do it. Hinata turned her head to the side, biting her lip with uneasiness. And yet, the moan that escaped Sasuke got her to press her cool palm against his forehead. He was dangerously hot. She would have to do something to bring the fever down and she didn't have the time to call a mednin. It was now or never. But, she needed to get him out of his clothes first. Hence her grabbing the hem of his shirt and pulling it up. Some more rolling on the Uchiha's part.

'_Sick men do not have a sexuality._'

Great rationalizing there, sweetie. Keep up the excellent work. God, all those muscles … she did her best to keep her eyes glued to his face as her hands made contact with his combusting skin. And then she had to … she had to … she had to take his pants off. A moan escaped her too. And it had nothing wanton in it. It matched Sasuke's in pain intensity. However, as he opened his eyes and sweat appeared on his brow, Hinata could not do otherwise but slide down the bed and go for his shoes. He was suffering.

She had never liked him as a child. In fact, he might have been the only person she had ever found annoying in her short life. And she had been teammates with Inuzuka Kiba. Just went to say how much Sasuke had been a disturbance. He attracted too much attention and all the girls she had admired, Ino for example, transformed into dimwits whenever he was nearby (she should have looked at herself around Naruto before judging). Then, her dislike had bloomed into abhorrence when he had chosen to betray the village. Finally, as years passed by, it had simply become indifference. And had he not been her only ticket to some semblance of freedom (that had turned out to be just another cage), she would have remained utterly indifferent to him.

But there was one thing Hinata could not be. Cruel. The Uchiha was in pain, he was suffering and she had to do something to alleviate his torment. Not because he was her _husband_. But because he was a human being. Kō had always done his best to make things easy for Hinata. She had had a lot of luck to have him by her side. And it was in his honor that she had decided as a child that she would always offer a helping hand to whoever was in need. Kō had after all been the one to tell her about her mother and how good a soul she had been. Hinata wanted to be like her mother.

Keeping her thoughts focused on her family and her eyes on Sasuke's mouth that distorted in pain, she slipped his _geta_ off (he wore no socks in the middle of November, no wonder he got sick) and mustering all her courage, pulled his pants off. His boxers remained in place. Bless the little joys. Moving back up on the bed, she used the little _chakra_ left in her to make some cold water slither from the washroom. The mattress would be soaked and they would most probably have to get rid of it. Not that she cared. The money in her bank account was more than enough to buy a new one. Actually, it was more than enough to buy a few mattress factories.

Softly, trying for her touch to be as faint as possible, Hinata started touching Sasuke's body, keeping her eyes glued to the wall behind them. She caressed his face, his neck, his shoulders. Passed her hands over the muscles of his arms. Mortified, horrified, embarrassed. But he was combusting. And she was using a very extreme method to get the temperature down. That was all. Hinata hoped he would not have a temperature shock though, with the hydration layer she was spreading over his body.

Not having looked at him, she hadn't noticed the scar that extended from his left ribs to his right hip, however as soon as her cool fingers made contact with it, Sasuke jerked. One instant he had been immobile; the other he was turning to the side and rolling up on himself. Shielding his head with his arms, his breathing got ragged.

"Don't touch me … Don't touch me. Please … No more. Please."

Immediately, Hinata withdrew her hands. In fact, they went for her throat as she croaked. That voice. That begging timbre. Her head started spinning. The ever silent Uchiha Sasuke started speaking in shards. Dropping supplications. Mingling them with expletives. Whispers became screams. Screams became whispers. And the name was released, like a bad omen of sorts.

"Oro … chimaru …"

His back was shaken by quivers. Was he sobbing? Or was his body still trying to fight the infection? She did not know. Hinata did not know anything. Beside that she was starting to hyperventilate. She could not breathe and her pressure fell.

Hinata had believed she had never been cruel. In fact, that was one of the few things she would have never permitted herself to become. She could fall low, but never as low as to pull other people down with her. And yet, there had been one person that had never been entitled to that affection she threw to the pigs. There was one person she had never felt compassion for, even he had deserved it more than anyone else. Uchiha Sasuke had always been an eyesore to Hyūga Hinata.

Naruto's passion for him. The way he turned women one against the other. And most of all, the fact that she had known that her father would have done everything to exchange his failed first-born for Uchiha Fugaku's second son. Uchiha Sasuke had been everything Hinata should have been. First of class. Brilliant. Talented. Capable. And all that jealousy had blinded her.

She had not seen the lonely child behind his cold, black eyes. She had not seen the abandoned brother past the blade of his _katana_. She had not seen the pain and anguish behind his success. Hinata had not cared about what Orochimaru might have done to the thirteen-year old boy. And here he was, mistaking her touch for that monster's, moving away from her, frightened.

Grabbing onto his face, she turned his head to her, startling at the sight of the spinning _tomoe_. The curse. Those eyes were a curse. Heaven's eyes, they called them. What a lie. The price to pay was too high according to Hinata. The torment she was seeing in their depth was not worth it. She wondered whether it would be safe to seal the Uchiha's _tenketsu_. He was obviously using the _Sharingan_ on himself. She hadn't known it was even possible. However her activated _Byakugan_ and the chakra patterns she was seeing around his optical nerve confirmed it.

"Don't … touch me … please."

This man that had entered the Hyūga compound, his spine straight, his tongue sharp was begging as a suffering child. His voice broke in fright. And Hinata felt guilt. Felt guilt for not having recognized his suffering before. For having been jealous of him to the point of refusing him the kindness she bestowed upon anyone and everyone.

At the moment his eyebrows flared, and a tear slid down the corner of his red eyes, Hinata forgot. She forgot that he had used his _genjutsu_ on her and precipitated her into darkness for two months after the war. She forgot he had stolen her peace of mind forever. She forgot the way he had taken her, the way he slighted her. The way his cold black eyes bore through her with repulsion.

Leaning in, his sweat-covered face between her hands and the _tomoe_ of his crimson spinning frenetically, she did something she had never done for anyone besides Hanabi. She, the failed Hyūga, the weakling, promised him she would protect him from evil. Hinata was in no measure to realize the scope of her words not the red thread that was forming between them, but she nonetheless uttered them.

"Sasuke … l-look at me Sasuke. I am n-not _him_. I w-won't let _him_ touch you. I will p-protect you. I promise."

Words meant to soothe a child that was scared of the monster under his bed. And yet, even if this man that was twisting on the bed was everything but conscious, he calmed and his eyes bore through hers without seeing her. A smile, tentative, innocent grazed his lips. So different from the grimace of pain from only a few instants ago. Different from the smirks that he shot here and there on his good days.

Lifting a shaking hand, his fingers buried in the heavy, thick black braid Hinata had managed to plait before she had went to help him. Black as ink, soft as feathers. Only one woman had ever had such beautiful hair.

"_Ōka-san_ …"

No woman besides his mother had ever touched him with so much care and kindness. She was back. She had not abandoned him. She had come from him. Painfully, he closed his eyes and let a semblance of coma claim him. Abandoning the young woman that was towering over him to her newfound anguish. And guilt.

Uchiha Sasuke had needed nothing but a little bit of softness. It had been her duty, just because she was Hyūga Hinata, to offer him the solace he had wanted. And yet, she had refused it. She had refused him from the first night he had buried himself in her to this moment. No, she had refused him the claims any human had on respect and compassion from her youngest years. Hinata had believed Sasuke had pushed her away, when in fact she had been the one to erect a cold glass wall between them from way before their marriage.

Two days. Two days of illusions. Violence on his part. Sometimes he mistook her for his mother. Other times for his brother. He begged Hinata not to leave him. At times she was Orochimaru and he got restless and dangerous. Uchiha Sasuke was draining from all her _chakra_. She should have asked the security to call a mednin, yet the Hyūga pride would have never permitted for anyone to see them in a situation of weakness. She had believed the Uchiha must have been the same in that department.

Hinata had placed a bucket by the bed. The mattress was done ruined and gave off a horrible stench of bile. But she couldn't care less. She did her best to force crackers into his mouth and washed them down with a horrid mix of water, sugar and salt to keep him hydrated. He vomited it out almost instantly. She repeated the process over and over again. When he slept, he was calm and gave her the opportunity to take a fast shower, change clothes. In the end, sending embarrassment to hell, she had started going through his things and dressing in them. Black t-shirts and matching boxers. Good enough when you needed to jump around not to get hit by a violent blast of _chakra_.

The _Sharingan_ remained activated even while he slept and it worried Hinata immensely. They had told her he had been blind as well for a long time and that unlike with her, they had thought he had been lost. She was too worried to approach his eyes again and take care of the _tenketsu_ around them. And using the _Byakugan_ as a shield could do more harm than good, as war had proven. She made do with him desperately clutching onto her in fright or bruising her ribs in his rage.

Two days. It is only two days later that Sasuke woke up from his nightmares. The first thing he registered was that his eyes were fucking sores. And that the light of the morning, seeping through the window of the bedroom made him want to explode the sun. He wondered whether _Susanoo_ would do the shit. The second thing he realized was that air reeked. It fucking stank. Of bile mostly. It is only then that he realized his cheek was pressed against something very soft, much softer than his pillow. And much firmer too. As his eyes focused, he noticed it was white. Shifting his head ever so slightly, he got a look at what must have been a pair of … boxers. His boxers. Riding up a long, firm white leg. Going up the curve of a plump backside.

Uchiha Sasuke had gotten himself in a very interesting situation. And the last thing he could remember was him trying to break into the hallway bathroom. But here he was, his head comfortably set on a very enticing white thigh. With a great panoramic view of what must have been a killer booty. Sasuke was not only a breast-guy and a leg-man; he had to plead guilty to also being a butt-dude. His right hand twitched. It was buried under some fabric. And caressing something just as soft as the thigh he was lying on. That is when it reached them. Dimples. His hand was buried under someone's shirt. A black shirt. One of his black shirts. And caressing a dimple.

Carefully, Sasuke moved his arms away from the body he seemed to have been fondling. For a split of an instant, he had the impression the last eight months had been nothing but an illusion. It felt like he was back from an orgy, hence the putrid smell of vomit all around the place. He had got drunk? He was surprised, not his type. And obviously, he must have brought back some chick. Too bad he didn't remember anything. He hoped he had been more memorable to her than her to him. And who the fuck had given her the right to wear his shit?! Lord, maybe it was a fangirl … The reason he never got drunk. She might have slipped some GHB into his drink. She had potentially raped him.

Pushing himself up, realization ovary-slapped him (because realization could be nothing but a bitch). Misery. He was facing misery. Leaning on the wall behind the bed, a young girl slept in a sitting position. Her eyelids had taken a violently red hue and heavy black bags extended from under her eyelashes. Thick, black hair framed her sickly pale face.

He was barely an inch from her. He would have thought that Hyūga Hinata gave herself a break and did not shake when sleeping. Sasuke was wrong, obviously. But this woman he had married a few months ago did not feel like Hinata. There was nothing refined and perfect about her. Her hair was messy, not having been combed for days. She did not wear any of those expensive clothes that filled their walk-in closet. And Sasuke noticed everything he shouldn't have. The way her heavy breasts strained against his black shirt. The way her lips were parted, almost begging for a kiss. He was too tired and queasy to bitch-slap himself. And maybe did Sasuke still think he was dreaming because he let his eyes roam all over Hyūga Hinata.

Misery dressed in a pair of boxers and a black shirt.

And for the first time in months, he felt it. A twitch that had nothing to do with his hand. A twitch he would have preferred to avoid at any cost. And that was the moment Hinata chose to stir. Not opening her eyes, she let a moan escape her. Being sick had a way of making Sasuke lose control over his own body, as much had been proven previously. His body, or a precise part of it, chose to rather respond to that innocent, oblivious sound.

Arching her back, still unaware of the situation she found herself in, Hinata threw her arms up and stretched. With her breasts pushing forth. Shifting her legs, the sound the sheets of the bed made an electric shock run right to Sasuke's lower body.

Misery had never seemed so fucking hot. Now he just had to find a way to wake up before Sasuke did shit he knew he would regret.


End file.
